Not A Pretty Woman
by P. Fishies
Summary: Ridiculous, I know. But I'm his friend and that's what friends do. They pretend to be engaged for a month so the new boss won't think he's gay and fire him, in turn ruining his life. Hey, what are friends for? SatoshixRisa.
1. Risa

**A/N:** I really want to write this story. I know, I KNOW it's going to sound really American, or it's going to sound like a rip off of "Pretty Woman," but honestly, it's not like that. It's the best inspiration burst I've had in a long time, and I wasn't even thinking of "Pretty Woman" until I wrote chapter three, and I was like "crap!" But, um, you may review on how awful this is, or how slow it is, or whatever. Just some feedback would be nice, especially because I haven't written in quite some time.

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Risa

It was unusually cold that night, despite the fact that the weather man had specifically called for a low of only sixty degrees Fahrenheit. The heat wasn't on too high in the small, one floor, two-bedroom house, seeing as how there was a fireplace in which sat a glowing fire. The gigantic 12" screen television was set to a low volume, and I sat on my tiny couch, Indian style. Every now and then I'd look up from my laptop screen to watch the interesting show about ancient fighting styles, but I'd soon go back to typing, listening to the narration of the program. My hair tied up in a messy pony-tail, due to the annoyance it provided when my head was downcast, I readjusted my glasses and continued to write a paper about some project that my office was working on.

I worked at home, for the most part, going into my office building only when I needed to attend a meeting, or get more paper, or perhaps steal a bagel. My work was alright. My boss liked me, as did my co-workers, and I could sleep in until noon without any bother. Of course I had to work until twelve that night, but that's alright. I was good at what I did, which was writing papers, or project appeals, or a speech every now and then for a dull-witted businessman at my job. It didn't matter if I worked almost every day, because I got paid, and I could afford to live in my beautiful house.

The living room consisted of a bookshelf with all my favorite movies, a TV, and a miniature couch. There were no walls between the kitchen and living room, just the line where the carpet connected with white tiles. The kitchen had a table, an oven with a stove on top, a refrigerator, some cabinets taking up two walls, and a sink with a window in front of it. No dishwasher, but, hey, I can survive. One bedroom was my "work space," but it was sort of a mess. There was a bed, oddly enough, but on it sat papers, old projects, papers, pictures, building designs, papers, old Christmas cards, did I mention papers? I don't even know what half of the stuff in there is. It's just a room with a bed, a shit-load of papers, and a small filing cabinet (not like I ever use it). Oh, and there's a small closet in that room with a washer and a dryer. I didn't really know where else to put them, and no one really came over and slept at my house other than me, so I put them there. Then there was the bathroom, which was almost nonexistent, but it had a toilet, a sink, and a shower with that funky glass door so you could see that a person was naked, but no fine details, just a fuzzy outline. Good enough for me. And then came my bedroom, at the end of the hallway. It was actually reasonably clean, with the exception of some dirty laundry lying about. My cat's litter box and bed tended to stink up the room, but that's what Febreeze is for.

Don't judge. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I think my house is beautiful.

I really don't know why I have a cat. I mean, when I bought the house, there was a dog flap on the front door, so I thought I'd get a dog, but no. I got a cat. Maybe because I promised Riku that if I was twenty-five and still single, I'd buy myself a cat so I wouldn't be lonely.

I stopped typing for a moment, and looked at my little, black, feline friend. She sat by the fire, her tail gently swaying back and forth. I had actually purchased her just last month, so she was still sort of a kitty. I had turned twenty-five last year, with a boyfriend of (world record, here) two weeks. I thought that he would be different, but he wasn't. I told myself, when he was gone, that I could buy a cat the next day. I never did get around to it until my twenty-sixth birthday. With a bonus in my paycheck, and my past three months of incredibly hard work, _and_ my sister's wedding, I rewarded myself with Lucky.

That was her name. Lucky.

You know something? I am not a slut. Just because all the boyfriends I had lasted about three weeks...

Whatever. I'm not going to let it bother me anymore.

Lucky meowed, snapping me out of my daze. I shook myself, checked how far along I was in my paper, then yawned and stretched. I looked tiredly at my buddy.

"Hungry, little girl? Are you hungry?" Lucky meowed again and I nodded. "Well, let me finish typing this paragraph and I'll get you a treat." She didn't seem to like that idea, judging on how she hissed at me. I made a face. "I promise! It's the last damned paragraph, ok? The conclusion, I swear. Just give me five more minutes."

Lucky purred, then went back to watching the fire. The TV switched to commercial break.

_Man: I was getting worried that I'd never meet that one special person._

_Woman: I met him at a diner, and we just clicked._

_Man: She smiled at me, and I knew she was the one._

Irritated, I jabbed the keyboard keys, finally managing to finish a proposal. I saved it to the hard drive, then saved it onto a disk, then attached it to an e-mail, which I then sent to my boss, and that was that. My job was completed. For the next twenty four hours anyway. It was ok, though. At least I had the next day off.

As quick as I could, I turned the television on mute, then I stood and stretched once more, hearing the bones in my legs crack. "Come on, Lucky. Let's get you some yum-yums."

She stood and stretched herself, and lazily followed me over to the kitchen. I opened a cabinet and took out two of her favorite treats, then opened another and took out a box of goldfish. I sat back down on the couch, and she jumped to my side, eating the treats I gave her graciously.

"Don't chew with your mouth open," I instructed her as I scratched he head. "It's rude."

The phone rang, which actually surprised me, due to the fact that it was eleven-thirty at night. I picked up the conveniently-placed cordless phone that sat by my laptop, to the other side of me on the couch.

"Hello?"

"I need to speak with Harada Risa, please."

I ignored it and hung up. It was very often that telemarketers phoned me, and I could always tell if it was one of them because of how they sounded. If it was a friend or a co-worker, they would have sounded like a real person, or used another greeting, or _something_. They wouldn't have sounded like a complete machine.

The phone rang again, and I glared at it. I picked it up, though. It sounded like the same guy too. "I... need to speak with Harada Risa, please."

I decided to be kind to the poor, obviously new, telemarketer. "Sorry, but if you're trying to sell something, you're wasting your time and mine."

"No... no, I'm not a telemarketer. This is Hikari Satoshi. Harada-san and I are old friends. May I speak with her please?"

If I was tired before, I instantly awoke. "Satoshi-kun?"

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**A/N:** Soooo... I'm back... and this is what I've got... comments? yay? nay? hoo-ray?


	2. Satoshi

**A/N: **Um, hello. :-) Thank you for reviewing! I'm really glad that it looks semi-interesting. I hope I don't disappoint. Enjoy!

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Satoshi 

Satoshi Hikari was not stupid. He knew very well just how empty his house was, especially on a night like tonight. He had told his butlers and maids to take a long weekend so he could have some time to himself before he suited up for yet another party. Really, he lived in a mansion. How much emptier could it get? Even when the butlers and maids _were_ bustling about, doing chores, Satoshi still felt completely alone.

As he straightened and tightened the bow tie around his neck, he inspected himself in the mirror. The hair looked good, the glasses were centered on his nose, his posture upright, the dinner jacket fitting perfectly. He cleared his throat and nodded to himself, but involuntarily shivered at the echo that his minuscule grunt had created.

"Good evening, Master Hikari," his chauffeur greeted him as he walked out of his large and doubled front doors.

Satoshi nodded as a salutation. As always, the door was held open for him, and he climbed into the back of his stretch limo.

"Another party at the Minegawa residence?" the man asked as he settled into the driver's seat. He looked in the rear-view mirror to see his master nod again. "Well, that should be fun."

At this, Satoshi turned to look at his driver's reflection, incredulous. "You tell me that every time, Moto-san."

Moto smiled and shrugged. "Well, you never know, Master Hikari. Tonight could be the night."

As he began to drive down the road, Satoshi sighed and rested his head back against his seat. "You tell me that every time as well."

* * *

There were chandeliers. There was a small orchestra. There was an ice sculpture above the punch bowl, a throng of waiters and waitresses attending the guests, a chocolate fountain. There were hundreds of tables, gourmet meals, even a dance floor. He never much cared for balls... or meetings... or any sort of get-together, but he had to admit it: his company had done a hell of a job setting up.

It was a formal, multi-company meeting party, his boss had told him. It was a clever disguise to what the night was really about. Through the champagne glasses, and the toasts, and the congenial small talk, he could see what was really on people's minds. Man A wanted Man B's company, Man D wanted to get rid of his company due to bankruptcy, Man F wanted to practically take over the world with his company. And Man Z, which was him, was pretty much selling himself.

Another, bigger, higher-up company had realized his potential and his talents, and they were looking for him to switch positions. Of course his boss didn't mind, because he wanted money, and with him being the employee in mind, there was _a lot_ to gain.

"Ah! Hikari-san, there you are!"

Satoshi grimaced when he heard his boss' voice. Soon enough, a big, clumsy hand had been clapped over his shoulder, and he was being steered violently towards a specific group of males.

"I was looking for you, my boy. These men right here have been waiting to meet you."

Being a detective and head of police force, Satoshi could tell right away who the alpha-male was. The tall man with dark hair that slightly fell over his blue eyes. He was intimidating, but Satoshi Hikari was never intimidated. He gave a small bow and extended his hand.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Hikari Satoshi," the man said to him, impressed. He shook his hand with a firm grip. Then the man smiled, and Satoshi could see why he was the boss. He was strong with work, but also very much a people person. He had a charm about him, something that made people flock all around. He seemed a very agreeable man.

"The pleasure is all mine," he replied with no voice inflection.

"Tell us, Hikari-san," a fat man beside him said. "What are your strengths as a businessman?"

"I get the job done," he stated. At this, the men laughed, but Satoshi didn't even crack a smile. He never understood why people found that humorous. All he was doing was being honest. Noticing his lack of pleasantness, the men around him quieted.

Minegawa-san didn't, but merely patted his shoulder. "Ah, Hikari-san here is very successful at what he does, you know? He's never late, always early. He never takes no for an answer, always managing to secure some sort of deal that never fails to benefit us. Right, Hikari?"

This was nauseating. He felt like he was being sold like a car, which was not in the least enjoyable. He was about to excuse himself from the conversation, but the head of the group, who's name he had learned was Kimoto, spoke up.

"How is the wife, Hikari-san?" he asked conversationally.

Satoshi stiffened. "Excuse me?"

"Your wife? How is she?" Kimoto asked again, his questions with good intention.

"... I don't have a wife." He flinched a bit as his current boss elbowed his side. Satoshi cast a glare in his direction. Of course his boss would be behind this. Creating lies to secure his chance at his money.

"Eh, what Hikari means is that he doesn't have a wife _yet_," Minegawa explained for him, as if he was a mere puppet. "Hasn't popped the question yet, see?" The men around laughed and joked and made comments about his "love life."

"You should do that soon," Kimoto said earnestly. "From what Minegawa-san says, you two are very fond of each other."

Satoshi saw his boss squirm under his gaze. "... I suppose we like each other a good deal."

Minegawa, happy for a subject change, spotted a waiter nearby and waved for him to come over. "Well, who's in the mood for some of this food?"

* * *

Two hours had passed and Satoshi felt like he was a prostitute. With every new person he met, his boss accompanied him. With every conversation, Minegawa made him sound like a "valuable asset that any company was lucky to have." It was sickening. At the last minute, while Minegawa had to make a small toast to all those who had attended his party, Satoshi managed to slip away.

He walked briskly out of the large estate, looking around for his chauffeur. It was getting late, the party was nearing its end, and Satoshi wanted to get the hell out. He would hound his boss on another day. Right then, he just wanted to sleep, or work, or read. Damn it, anything to occupy his mind.

"Hikari-san, congrats on the wife!" A colleague of his said, coming up behind him and patting his shoulder. Satoshi was jolted forward, but he composed himself and readjusted his glasses while the man spoke. "It's a good thing you found yourself a girl, too. I heard Kimoto really likes sociable men." He chuckled and nudged Satoshi, as if they were bonding. "We were beginning to think the worst."

Satoshi wasn't sure if he was supposed to be offended or not. "Yes, well... I suppose it is time I found myself a young woman to spend time with." He sighed, feeling pathetic. "It was going to happen eventually."

"Oh, of course, Hikari-san, of course," his co-worker said patting his back roughly once more. "We all knew that a bright girl would fall for you soon enough. We were just worried about you."

"Me?"

"Yes! We thought that-" The man's laughter died down and he trailed off. Satoshi watched him from the corner of his eye. "Eh... well, it's getting late."

Before he walked away, Satoshi reached out and grabbed him. The man looked a bit startled. "You thought what?"

The man gulped. "Nothing, my boy! Nothing! I just-"

"What was everyone thinking?" he pressed, anger bubbling in his stomach.

The man looked reluctant and annoyed as he pushed Satoshi's hand off of his arm. "Don't be so sore, Hikari. The ladies of the office just tend to chatter about this and that. They were... _absurdly_ joking about how you must have been... how you must be swaying... _that_ way..."

Satoshi felt his hand ball into fists. "They thought I was a homosexual?!"

"Well, it's not their fault, Hikari," the man said. "They're women. And it's not as if your behavior didn't fuel the fire, if you know what I mean."

"I'm afraid I don't," Satoshi replied coolly. It was then that he finally recognized his driver and bid his co-worker farewell.

"Did you have a good night, Master Hikari?" Moto asked as he opened the car door for him.

"No." He said calmly despite the fact that he was infuriated. He stopped, though, pausing in thought. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a couple 10,000 yen bills from his wallet. He took Moto's hand in his and curled his fingers around the bill. "Moto-san, take the weekend off."

Moto was shocked. "B-but, Master Hikari-"

"It's alright. Just take the car back to the house and go home. Spend time with your family."

"Oh, I-I don't have much of a family, Master Hikari," Moto said, taking the money and folding it carefully. "Just a girl is all..."

"Then spend some time with her," Satoshi said, patting his driver on the shoulder. "I'll see you on Monday."

Moto nodded dumbly, closing the back door to the limo and clutching the bills of money. He paused before clambering into the driver's seat, looking back at his boss. "Uh... Master Hikari... how are you getting home?"

* * *

A following two hours later, Satoshi arrived at his house. Though it was only a few miles from his boss' house, it was quite a-ways to walk. He was sweating, actually, which was a slight annoyance. As he entered his house and hung up his bow tie and black jacket on the banister to the stairs, he made a mental note to ask a maid to dry-clean his dinner suit for him on Monday.

Though he had gone over just how he would settle this matter with his boss, Satoshi was still angry.

But he'd be damned if he didn't turn this situation around.

He walked into the kitchen area (which is different from the dining area, remember that), and picked up the phone. He dialed the number without hesitation, not even thinking that he might regret it later. Of course there was an operator to ask which one would take the long-distant call charges, and Satoshi, as always, took responsibility of that. As the phone on the other line rang, he was surprised that he had actually remembered the number.

"Hello?"

"I need to speak with Harada Risa, please." He waited a moment, but was startled when the operator came back on.

"The other member has disconnected the phone call," she said. "It hasn't been long enough to charge, though. Would you like me to connect you again?"

"Yes... yes, please. Thank you." Why had she just hung up on him? Did she know it was him? Was she really that angry with him? Did she-?

"Hello?"

"I... need to speak with Harada Risa, please." Her reaction was unexpected.

"Sorry, but if you're trying to sell something, you're wasting your time and mine."

"No... no, I'm not a telemarketer." He almost thought it humorous that her first impression of him after such a long time was that he was a telemarketer. "This is Hikari Satoshi. Harada-san and I are old friends. May I speak with her please?"

And, as if they had just spoken yesterday, little Miss Risa Harada perked up. It was amazing how he still got chills when she called him: "Satoshi-kun?"

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**A/N: **How am I doing?


	3. Risa and Satoshi

**A/N: **So, the whole plot thing of this story is that Risa and Satoshi are going to have to live together for a month and act like a married couple. Over the course of 31 days or so, they'll attend meetings and parties and go out in public holding hands and what-not. I'm trying to do something a little different by making them good friends already, and I like it that way. More stuff will be revealed later on. Sorry this chapter is so short. :-(

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Risa and Satoshi

"Satoshi-kun? Is that really you?" I couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, my God, it is! It is you!" I laughed again. "Oh, man. I haven't heard from you in months! What happened? How have you _been_?"

"I've... been well." His voice was still as emotionless as ever.

I straightened, though, his manner feeling off to me. Despite the fact that he hadn't contacted me in quite some time, I could still tell when something was wrong. It was a special talent I had when it came to Satoshi Hikari. "What's wrong? Why did you call? Did something happen? Are you alright?"

"What? No..." He paused for a moment, which was unlike him. I was about to ask again, incredulous to his claims, but he inhaled and said, "I'm fine, Harada-san. Thank you."

I relaxed a bit, but was unable to think of anything to say. "Well, then... um... hi."

He let out a breath. "... Hi."

It was good to hear from him. It really was. We didn't talk very much as we graduated Middle School and headed into High School. Every now and then we'd say hello to each other in the halls, but that was all. It wasn't until I started taking art classes for electives did I finally see him, halfway through freshman year. He seemed just as distant and cold as ever, but still even more so because of the fact that he was the most talented artist anyone had ever seen. Everyone would make a big fuss about his work, and he'd get really embarrassed. It was almost endearing.

I began to stay after school for more time in the studio because I had ended up really liking the class, and I tended to get really involved in my projects. My first time staying after, I ran into him. It was sufficiently awkward for the both of us, but as we were putting our supplies away a few hours later, he must have caught a glimpse of my work.

"Your graffiti project is coming along nicely," he commented as I was attempting to reach the top shelf in order to put away some acrylic paint.

I was startled, so I had stumbled, nearly dropping the plastic jars in my hands. Truthfully, I only managed to catch them as they bounced off of my boobs. He stared at me, amused. I ignored his stare, shyly thanking him, but insisting that he was infinitely better than I was, or something like that. I remember Satoshi put his hands in his pockets and looked out the window.

"I come here everyday just so people won't tell me that," he told me. I was silent because I didn't know what to say. He just shrugged and said, "I simply feel as though I do not deserve all the attention I am getting."

I still had no idea what to do. The following day I had gone home, too afraid to stay after again. Of course then I felt bad for Satoshi and pitiful for my own ridiculous actions. The day after that, I entered the art room at the beginning of the period, walked right up to Satoshi, looked him right in the eye-

... and did nothing.

He glanced at me from the corner of his eye as he set up a new piece of paper on an easel, and some new paint in a tray. I was blushing like a fool, cursing myself for not thinking of a formal apology or anything.

"... Can I assist you with anything, Harada-san?" he asked, stopping his movement and watching me. With an frantic, last-minute idea, I nodded my head feverishly. He looked surprised for a second. "What is it?"

"Shading."

"Shading?"

"And math... but since we're in art class, shading."

He just looked at me. "You want me to help you... in _shading_ and in _math_?"

I scowled. "What? They're both very hard for me, and they're really easy for a super genius like you, so I'm asking you for help!"

For a fleeting moment, I thought he had laughed. Really. But then he sat down, the normal expressionless mask upon his face. He then nodded. "Alright. I can do that."

That afternoon I had asked him specifically why he felt like he didn't deserve the attention. I mean, all he had to do was look at something and he could paint it. That prodigy talent, simply amazing. He wondered why I was so interested, and I had to reply truthfully; I had no idea. So I guess being interested for no reason was enough reason for him. He explained that it was because all of his talent was due to his family and his bloodline. He felt as though he hadn't gone through the best part of being an artist, which was discovering his personal style, making mistakes and learning from them, etc. He then told me outright that he envied me for having that experience.

I shook my head as I listened to him, surprised. "You're a work of art, Hiwatari-san."

He scowled, telling me not to call him by that name anymore, since everyone knew about his adoption. We probably had a little tiff about it, but I honestly can't remember because I was too busy concentrating on the light tinge of pink that had formed on his cheeks.

We had actually grown quite fond of each other through the years, spending much of our time (in and out of the classroom) together. I guess you could even classify us as friends, which is shocking for Satoshi Hikari, I know. But even through college we remained friends. It was nice.

"I don't like calling you Hikari-kun," I had told him during one year of college.

He was genuinely confused. "Why not?"

"Because that's what all the fan girls call you."

He grimaced. "Well, then, don't call me Hikari-kun."

"I like calling you Satoshi-kun," I stated with a confident nod.

He glared. "Don't call me that."

"What's wrong with calling you that? You call me Risa-chan."

"Yes, but that's only because of the numerous times you've repeated your name to me after I've called you Harada-san."

I beamed. "I know! I finally managed to brainwash you." I then sighed and put a hand to my heart. "It's my greatest accomplishment in life."

"I'd just feel very uncomfortable," Satoshi said matter-of-factly. "I'm... I'm not used to having people call me that."

I had been expecting an answer like that. "I know. You're not used to having friends either. But-!" I went on before he could open his mouth. "That's why I'm here. So You can get used to having friends. What's going to happen when you meet your future wife and she calls you Satoshi-kun?" He cringed. "See! She'll get offended, and you'll loose the love of your life!"

"Leave it up to you to turn this conversation into a love tragedy."

"It will be such a loss!" I had said dramatically, ignoring him. "So you need to get used to someone calling you Satoshi-kun, and I'm the best way to start."

We spent the next five minutes glaring at each other in fierce determination, until he finally mumbled, "There's no use in arguing, is there?"

So we spent a lot of time together. We were a pair, Satoshi and me, even through that awkward "all-our-friends-wanted-us-to-get-together-but-we-didn't" stage. Even through all my boyfriends and his one crush (though he keeps insisting that it wasn't a crush, but that he was simply impressed by her talent, or some bullshit like that). I don't think I've ever had a better friend in my whole life, and vice versa.

But for the past six months or so, he's been inexplicably busy. I mean, I knew that we only hung out once or twice month, because we lived kind of far from one another, but we haven't even bothered to phone each other. It was so strange to finally hear his voice again, but at the same time, it felt as if we had just spoken yesterday.

So there I sat, on the phone with Satoshi Hikari, wondering why the hell he called, and also why I couldn't find any words to say.

"Listen, Harada-san, I need a favor."

Uh oh. He hadn't even called me Risa. Something was up. I wondered if it was going to be like that one time I helped dress is drag. "It's Risa. Don't tell me that all those years I spent hypnotizing you have gone to waste."

He took a breath. "I need you to be my fiancee for a few weeks."

Um... I beg your pardon?


	4. The Proposal

**A/N IMPORTANT: **So, even though it doesn't seem like much, I did quite a bit of research and thinking for this chapter. Mind you, I almost got hurt from using my brain so much :-P. But I won't lie, I'm not too smart. So if something seems off (like if I named a city, but it's actually a providence or something), just ignore it and forgive me. If you get confused, go to google and type in "japanese shinkasen". It should be the first or second website. It is NOT the one at wikipedia. It'll say _Shinkansen (Japanese Bullet Train)_. As a side note, you'll see a city by the name of Hachinohe at the top right of Japan. There is a city a little further up that isn't marked, but it goes by the name of Misawa. It's known as "Sky City" because it's big on airplane travel, but I don't care. They're taking the train because I said so and I'm secretly God... or... at least I am in this story. Enjoy and review!

* * *

The Proposal

"Are you completely out of your mind?!"

Satoshi had to hold the receiver away from his ear for a second. He had forgotten just how loud Harada-san could be.

"Have you thought about this at _all_?! There are flights to book, and-and tickets to buy, a-and luggage to pack, and... and... stuff to do!"

"I'm aware, Harada-san," he spoke calmly into the phone. "I can pay for all expenses."

"Oh-ho, like hell you will! It's too expensive for just one person to cover. And-"

"I'm rich, Harada-san." It was truly irritating how stubborn she could really be. She seemed to ignore him.

"And I have my job-"

"You work at home."

"And my cat will be all alone and-"

"You can- wait." He stopped for a second, even though she continued to ramble.

"And my laptop and software-"

"Harada-san..."

"And my company will flip a shit-"

"Why do you have a cat?"

"And you have no-!" She stopped. "What? What do you mean, 'why do I have a cat'?"

For such an intelligent young woman, Risa could most definitely be absent-minded. "Exactly what I asked."

"Oh... I don't know." She paused, thinking. "Because I'm still single?"

"What?"

"No, it's... I told you about the promise I made to Riku, didn't I?"

"Ah..." Satoshi had completely forgotten about that. They had discussed it during one of his visits while sitting in their favorite local cafe. She had laughed about it at first even though he didn't really understand it at all. But then she had quieted and expressed her hope that she never had to fulfill such a promise. "Yes... yes, you told me about it. You never got around to adopting one, though."

"Yes I did."

"Since when?"

"Since... I don't know, a couple months ago? She's still a kitty, but she has really soft, black fur, and I named her Lucky."

She was still single. How was it possible that she was still single? "She sounds nice."

Risa laughed a bit. "You'll have to meet her sometime. She's very sweet."

"Yes, I'm sure," he said, and he smiled despite himself. They were quiet for a minute, neither of them quite sure of what to say.

"Satoshi-kun..." she spoke slowly, trying to understand. "... Why do you need me to pretend to be your wife?"

"Fiancee," he corrected. "And it's because-" he could feel the warmth creep to his face. "-because they think that I am partial to enjoy the company of the same gender."

For a moment, all was still. He could hear her breathing, and he tried to imagine what she looked like. Then there was a snort. He closed his eyes, knowing full-well what was coming.

"They think you're _gay_?!" Risa threw back her head and laughed.

Satoshi sighed. "Yes, and I need you to-"

"Ahahahahahaha! They think you're gay!! AH HAHAHAHA! GAY!" She laughed for ten minutes after that.

"Harada-san, you have made you're amusement in this situation quite clear," Satoshi snapped, annoyed. "I didn't call you just to have you laugh at my misery."

"Ah haha!! You!! _GAY_!!"

"Harada, will you please be quiet!"

"Ha ha! Aw, I made you mad. Ok... ok, I'm calm."

Satoshi rolled his eyes, just noticing that he had been gripping his kitchen chair. His knuckles were white. "I'd be paying for your travels so you can go straight to Tokyo, and my butler can meet you at the station." As he spoke, he released his hold on the chair and examined his hand as the blood slowly crept back into his veins. "The man who wishes to hire me will be paying for the hotel room-"

"Satoshi-kun, you do realize that I live in Misawa, don't you?"

Of course he did. Hence the reason why they could hardly see each other. "Yes, but the Hachinohe station is closeby, isn't it? From there, it's an easy ride to Tokyo."

"Yeah, but I thought you lived in Nagano."

"I do. But the major corporation that wants me as an employee is in Tokyo, so I will therefore get you a train ticket to Tokyo."

"But that will take so long..."

"Not if you ride the Tohoku Shinkansen."

"Are you insane?!" Again, the receiver was taken away from his ear. "Those have to be reserved! And it's so _expensive_!"

"Harada-san, I'm-"

"Rich. Yeah. I know, I know, but..." She sighed. "I've never liked taking money from you."

He knew. "You won't mind so much when we're pretending to be life partners."

She chuckled. "Yes, but still... I'll pay you back." When neither of them said anything, Risa added, "Eventually..."

He had to smile. "It's alright. I don't mind paying." She sighed again. "So will you help me?"

"... Well... I suppose Riku and Daiskue can take care of Lucky while I'm gone."

"It'll only be for about a month."

"Why can't you just lie about being married?" It wasn't in a whiny or reluctant tone, he noticed. The question was generated purely due to curiosity, which is what Satoshi missed about Risa. She whined, sure, but when it came to him (his life, his general welfare), she was always curious. She always wanted to understand.

"Because this is business," he explained. "It's full of nothing but formal meetings and parties. If I'm staying in Tokyo for an entire month, I won't be very much of a gentleman if I never bring you anywhere."

"No... I suppose not... Though this is not what I had in mind when I was dreaming up my future husband and ideal wedding plans."

"Yes, I'm sure Dark was always in there somehow."

"Oo, harsh, Hiwatari. But it's better than being deemed as _gay_."

He scowled. "You're not funny."

"And neither are you."

"We're feuding again."

"Yes, I think we'd make a perfect married couple."

"So will you agree to marry me or not?"

Risa had smiled. He could feel it. "Sure, honey-boo. When shall I depart?"


	5. Upon Arrival

Upon Arrival

When I was a junior in High School, I took a literature course in which essay writing was emphasized. As a monthly assignment, I had to read two contradicting persuasive essays and write one response essay. For as long as I live, I will never forget the one topic of gender. Both essays were well-written and surprisingly casual, but one particular essay really held my interest. It debated whether or not a man should buy a lady's meal.

The answer to me, at the time, was obvious; of course a man should pay for a lady's meal. It's common courtesy. The reason why they don't anymore is because chivalry is lost. But after reading the essay, I had to think differently. There were very respectable men out there who are financially crippled and just can't pay for all the stuff that women want. A quote from the paper really stuck with me:

"Let's get this straight. As a woman, you are so genetically precious that you deserve attention just because you grace the planet. So, of course, he should buy you drinks. He should also drive the car, open the door, ask you to dance, coax you to bed. And then when you feel properly pampered, you can let out that little whine about how he doesn't treat you as an equal."

That quote infuriated me for many reasons, half of which I couldn't even name. What angered me the most, however, was the fact that I was exactly the type of girl that the author had described. I couldn't look at Daisuke or Satoshi for a week.

So when Satoshi offered to buy me a snack at one of Riku's lacrosse games because I had forgotten my money, I flat out refused. It was humorous how taken aback he was. He kept insisting that I eat something or I would pass out, seeing as how I hadn't had a big lunch either. I kept insisting that I wasn't the one with low blood pressure, and that I would be fine.

He finally grabbed my shoulders and asked, exasperated, "What has gotten into you?" While referring to my out of character refusal of a gentlemanly act of kindness, he was also referring to the past week when I couldn't look him in the eye.

"Because I've spent my whole life being a hypocrite!" I burst out. "Because I recently realized that I've hardly changed at all since Dark! And I'm embarrassed and upset and I'm just trying to be a better person, but I feel like I can't do that! Especially when you're paying for food!"

He had the dumbest expression on his face. "Risa... what the _hell_ are you talking about?" I then had to explain the story of my class essay assignment, and the quote in the book, and the truth behind it with my actions. By the time I was finished, I was almost in tears, and Satoshi was giving me that "you-are-so-retarded-and-yet-so-adorably-cute" look. "Risa..." he said slowly. "I'm going to buy you a corn-dog now... ok?"

I pitifully nodded and sank into my seat in the stands. He returned soon enough, and we ate our fattening foods in awkward silence.

"You are most certainly mistaken," he informed me as we stood waiting for Daisuke and Riku by the field after the game had ended. "You have changed a great deal since Dark. This is the first time you've mentioned him in an entire year, and since your love for him, you've never visibly swooned or stalked another male that caught your attention. Whenever you acquire a new interest in someone, you don't talk about it until you're certain that your feelings are due to the male's personality and not his physical appearance. Might I also add that you've realized most of your pros and cons as a human being, and you've focused your intelligence and skills on other, more important things? The proof is in your academic standings and current career choice." He paused, stealing a glance at me. "And you _are_ becoming a better person. Even Seahara has noticed a change in you." At long last, Daisuke and Riku began to walk towards us. Satoshi, as a last comment, added quietly, "And as for being a hypocrite? Don't worry. We're all hypocrites. Each and every one of us. Every human being has said something and done another. That's just who we are..."

He and I looked at each other, and he gave me a small smile. "Trust me," he said. "You're doing fine."

Since then, whenever Satoshi and I went out, we paid Dutch. In fact, whenever I went out with any other guy, we paid Dutch. Even if he didn't want to, I paid for my share. I've never explained myself to anyone else, though. No one really asked. So you can imagine my low level of comfort when Satoshi told me that he would pay for me to ride the Tohoku Shinkansen.

Only a few days after that phone call, I was sitting on the train, watching a blur of colors pass before my eyes. Every five minutes, I would take out my cell phone and try to call Daisuke or Riku, seeing if Lucky was alright. Most times I didn't have signal, so I took out my laptop and began to type more business projects and pitches. About three hours went by, and I heard the conductor announce that they would reach Tokyo in a few minutes. I gulped and double-checked the time. No wonder rich people took this rail line, it was always on time.

* * *

People rushed past me as I exited the train car. I had to admit that I was excited, but I was also scared completely shitless. I walked slowly, looking around carefully for anyone I might know. For a minute, I was utterly lost in a sea of people, my heart racing. I then spotted a white sign, with neat black writing that said, "Harada, Risa". Though I was still incredibly nervous, it did calm me a bit that I had someone to meet me. So I tried my best to politely make my way through the flow of traffic.

The sign was being held up by a slightly older man with long black hair that was tied in a pony-tail. He wore a long-sleeved white shirt with a black vest atop it, with black pants and black shoes that shined in the light. One gloved hand held up the sign with my name on it, the other occupied his pocket. He was talking to someone, though. He made a comment, looking to his right at someone I couldn't see. After a second, he laughed and moved his pocketed hand to pat someone on the shoulder. Then I saw him.

There was a reflection of light from the movement of glasses, a stiff, up-right posture, bunches of girls staring as they walked by (blushing, giggling, and/or drooling), and a head full of blue hair...

"Hikari Satoshi!"

No, my mind didn't go blank. I still remembered that I had an expensive laptop and some luggage that I was wheeling around. I still remembered that I was in public. I still remembered that he didn't like to touch people. I just didn't care about any of it. In a flash, my suitcase, laptop case, and luggage bag were out of my hands and replaced with wrinkles of Satoshi's shirt. Instead of smelling fast food and the perfume/cologne that people had piled onto their skin, I smelled fresh linen and coconut shampoo. All the nervousness and worry was drained from my body, and I felt nothing but contentment. I was practically flying with relief.

"I missed you, Satoshi-kun!" I said into the crook of his neck, my words muffled.

"What?" His low voice rumbled through his chest.

I pulled back, beaming. "I said that it's good to see you! I miss you, Hikari!"

Despite his usual manner, he smiled. "It _has_ been a while."

"A while? Try half a year, baka," I teased, swatting his arm.

He nodded, then caught sight of his friend behind me. "This is my chauffeur, Moto-san. Moto-san, this is Harada Risa." My eyes widened, and I looked at him, mouthing, "you have a chauffeur?!". He gave me a strange look and nodded, as if I were dumb.

I turned to the older man who was now carrying my bags and bowed. "It's very nice to meet you!" I said, holding out my hand to shake.

He set my laptop bag down carefully and shook my outstretched hand as he bowed. "It's a pleasure, Harada-san." When he bent down to pick up my laptop, I took it with him. He also gave me a strange look. "I can take this, Harada-san."

"I know," I said. "But so can I. And I'd feel terrible if it was just you carrying all of my stuff."

"It's only three bags," he said with amusement.

"The one is kind of heavy, though," I defended. "Besides, I'm not used to you yet. Once I am, you'll probably wish I hadn't."

"... Alright then," he said as he slowly let go of the handle.

"Thanks!" I said, pleased with my success. "And you!" I then whirled on Satoshi. "I _will_ pay you back. Somehow, someway, I will."

"I'm sure," Satoshi replied with a roll of the eyes. "Come on. One of Kimoto's men is waiting with a car just outside the station."

"Ok!" I began to walk towards the exit, Satoshi and Moto-san following behind me.

"So..." I heard Moto-san speak in a quite voice. "... That's her?"

"Yes," Satoshi responded simply. "That's her."

* * *

**A/N: **I need to write more chapters. I hardly have the one after this typed, so if it takes a little longer than normal, I do apologize. How am I doing?


	6. Settling In

Settling In

The train station, as always, was crowded. Hundred of people bustled about him, almost all of the girls slowing their pace to glance at him. Satoshi loosened the collar button of his shirt and cleared his throat, uncomfortable with everything. He began tapping his foot, then he crossed his arms, but that whole position made him look angry and impatient. So he stopped tapping his foot and put his hands in his pockets.

"What's the time, Moto-san?"

"Five minutes after the last time you asked me, Master Hikari," his chauffeur replied with a smirk.

Normally, Satoshi would have scowled and said something to justify his request, but today he wasn't feeling well. He didn't feel like himself at all. He was nervous. _Nervous_, for God's sake. He was _never_ nervous.

So he cleared his throat once again, and began pacing in very small steps. He'd look at the ground and scuff his shoe at something, then he'd search the crowd, then notice that the train hadn't arrived yet. So he'd go back to looking at the ground... and whenever he heard a girl laughing, he looked up, just in case. All times this happened, he knew that it wouldn't be her, because he knew her laugh, and he knew what it sounded like... but he always checked anyway.

"Calm down, Master Hikari," Moto-san semi-comforted him. "The train will be here in another minute. Someone just announced it."

Satoshi nodded, his head bobbing up and down a little more than necessary. He looked at the ground and noticed a small crack next to his right foot. He then looked at Moto-san. "Do you think she'll recognize me?"

Moto-san laughed abruptly, but forced himself to stop, and he coughed. "U-um... Master Hikari... it's only been six months."

Satoshi blinked. "Ah... yes... yes, of course..."

Moto-san watched him as he paced again, and he smiled. He was thoroughly amused. "Relax, Master Hikari. She's your friend. It'll be fine. Don't know why you're so nervous."

"I'm not nervous," he said quickly, but he didn't even believe himself. Neither did Moto-san. Then he heard the sound of trains breaking on a steel track, and he perked up. The announcer said something about the Tohoku Shinkansen arriving on time, but Satoshi didn't pay it any mind. He watched the sleek, white train gently slide into the station, and the doors slide open.

And all of a sudden he felt sick. He turned his heel, staring off into space. He faintly heard Moto-san ask if he was alright. "... Maybe I should wait back at the hotel."

"After all that nervous pacing about? No, Master Hikari, you should stay right here."

"Yes, but you're an amiable gentleman, and the hotel is only three miles down the road. I should go get everything checked in over there." He was being ridiculous, he knew.

"Ah, come on, Master Hikari," Moto-san encouraged. "Don't run away scared or anything."

Satoshi stood up completely straight then, and he removed his hands from his pockets. "I'm not running away."

Moto-san let out a hearty laugh, and Satoshi felt his gloved hand pat him on the shoulder. "I knew that would get you to stay."

"Hikari Satoshi!"

A chill went up and down his spine. Satoshi turned around, and just in time as well. Risa had sprinted to him and thrown her arms around his neck, practically jumping into his arms. Fortunately, Satoshi was blessed with quick reflexes, so in order to cushion the unexpected blow, he half turned when he caught her, then swung her around in a circle, managing to steady himself on two feet. It was strange to have her hug him after such a while.

She said something he couldn't make out into his neck, and he felt her breath on his skin. "What?"

Risa pulled back and grinned stupidly at him. "I said that it's good to see you again! I missed you, Hikari!"

Her smiles always were contagious. "It _has_ been a while."

"A while? Try half a year, baka." She swatted his arm at that. It was nice how quickly they reconnected.

At that moment, he caught sight of Moto-san as he was carrying Risa's things. Apparently she had flung them aside before running to hug him. "This is my chauffeur, Moto-san. Moto-san, this is Harada Risa." Her reaction to that was priceless. She looked at him with wide eyes, mouthing, "you have a chauffeur?!". He nearly laughed, but nodded at her instead. He _did_ say that he was rich.

So she turned to Moto-san and aquainted herself. Normal "nice to meet you" talk, and then she attempted to take her laptop bag. Satoshi was used to it, but Moto-san wasn't at all. He kept asking her if it was alright, and he told her that he could get it, but he didn't know Risa like Satoshi did. Once Risa had decided something, ninety percent of the time, she was sticking to it. Watching the two of them was amusing.

"And you!" She then whirled on Satoshi, causing him to start. "I _will_ pay you back. Somehow, someway, I will."

"I'm sure," Satoshi replied with a roll of the eyes. He knew she meant well, she always did, but Satoshi would never accept money back from her. He'd expect hell for it for a few days, but soon it would all be back to normal. "Come on. One of Kimoto's men is waiting with a car just outside the station."

"Ok!" Risa walked in the direction of the exit without even asking who Kimoto was. Satoshi assumed that the lightbulb would switch on during the car ride to the hotel.

"So..." Moto-san said quietly, now walking beside Satoshi. "... That's her?"

"Yes," Satoshi responded simply. "That's her."

* * *

So the ride had taken a little longer than expected, but it actually wasn't too bad. Risa was looking out the window, her eyes practically bulging from their sockets. She kept expressing her excitement about the skyscrapers, the hundred of people, the cars, the sounds, the... well, everything. It was almost endearing, but more so entertaining.

"Hey, Satoshi-kun, where are we staying?" she inquired.

"Hotel Kinshicho Tobu," he replied without thinking. He immediately regretted saying it.

"The WHAT?!"

"Shh! Calm down," he hushed her, glaring. "I told you that Kimoto is paying for all of our expenses at the hotel. Remember?"

Risa relaxed a little, blushing from stupidity. "Oh... um, who's Kimoto-san?"

Satoshi relaxed as well. "The boss that wants to hire me."

"Oh..." she grew quiet, twiddling her thumbs as she sat back against the seat. Noticing this nervous habit of hers, Satoshi asked if anything was wrong. She just shook her head.

* * *

At the hotel, Risa was quite a sight. She seemed to be a bit stunned at just the exterior of the building, but then she stepped inside. She sort of dropped her laptop bag and stood in awe. Satoshi didn't notice she was far behind him until he was at the front desk. He scowled, told the front man about his new room mate, then walked back to her.

"Harada-san, are you-?"

She stuck out an hand and grasped onto his arm. She squeezed, whispering, "_This_ is our hotel?"

"The hotel in which we are residing. It's no more impressive than your childhood mansion, Harada-san."

Though she blushed furiously at this, she was even more in shock when they arrived at their room. She stood in silence for a minute, then screamed and began running everywhere. She did circles around the room, touched the espresso machine, opened half of the cabinet doors to explore the fine dinnerware. She ran into the bathroom and yelled about how abnormally large the bathtub was, and how there was a shower just as big next to it. She ran out to the balcony (which was also a joy to her), and squealed at the magnificence of the view. She finally managed to find one spot to settle, which was in the bedroom. Though her idea of settling was jumping up and down on the king-sized mattress.

"Satoshi-kun, this new boss of yours is great!" she said grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes," he said quietly, just watching her. "Everyone seems to like him."

"He must be _loaded_!" Jump. Jump.

"He owns a company."

She giggled and twirled around in a circle, hair spinning gently after her.. "Come jump on the bed with me, Satoshi-kun!"

He just glared at her. She stopped bouncing, but only long enough to throw back her head and laugh. "Come on, Satoshi. You've missed it."

"I have not."

"Have too," she said, sticking out her tongue. "Or are you being sore because you hit your head on the ceiling one too many times?"

He hesitated, finding her smile to be annoyingly contagious. She began jumping again, that pleading look entering her eyes. He had to admit that she could be very persuasive. You'd think, after six months of no connection, that he'd be able to ignore that special look of hers. But of course he succumbed. He always did.

* * *

**A/N: **I don't have the next chapter written, so it might be a while until the next update. Let me know whether or not this story is going alright. I can never tell. Thanks for reading!


	7. The Good Husband

The Good Husband

I woke up to find myself lying on the king-sized bed, and it was there that I came face to face with Satoshi. It was weird having him be the first thing I saw when I woke up.

At first, my reaction was pure contentment. I sighed and smiled, closing my eyes in relaxation. I opened them again just to look at him. I took in the lines that time had worn into his face, the complete unawareness in his expression. He breathed in and out, his warm breath tickling my shoulder. I lifted my hand so that I could brush away a strand of hair from his face...

Then I stopped. I sat straight up, ignoring the dizziness that ensued soon after. I jumped up from the bed, whirling around so that my back was to his limp body.

What was I _doing_?

"Risa?"

I yelped and turned back around, my hands flying to my mouth. There he sat, blinking away the sleep from his eyes. It was actually the most adorable thing I had ever seen.

"Did we fall asleep?" he asked stupidly.

I nodded, trying to relax. I knew that I was blushing, but I didn't really know why. I began to fiddle with my fingers, twiddle my thumbs, that sort of thing.

"Yeah," I said sheepishly. "Yeah, it's been a few hours."

He ended his yawn with a grumble, and murmured, "Well that can't be good for our sleeping patterns..." And he began looking for his glasses, which had slipped from his face in the past couple of hours.

"Um... yeah... I mean no! No, that can't be good at all..."

He paused for a moment to look at me. For a long, terrifying second, I thought that he'd ask me what was wrong. I was no good at lying when it came to Satoshi. He could always see right through me. But he squinted at me and asked, "What time is it?"

"Um..." I turned to look at the clock. "Around five-o-clock."

He nodded, looking around for his glasses once more. "Well, we have about an hour before we should head to the party..."

"Party?" My voice squeaked.

"The grand welcoming," he said, not sounding thrilled in the least. "Where I and several other misfit employees shall be greeted, spoken to, clapped at, and forced to eat an expensive dessert of some kind. It's supposed to help us feel more comfortable or something of that sort..." He found the object of his desires under a flap of covers, and he smiled triumphantly.

"S-Satoshi-kun?" I began to fix my hair when he looked at me curiously. "Um... I don't have anything to wear."

This apparently reminded him of something, and he snapped his fingers as he stood from the bed. "Yes you do."

"I do?" I began following him as he walked from the bedroom to the bathroom, then stopped when he held out a hand.

"Of course you do," he told him, closing the door so just a slit was open. I waited outside, unable to peer at what he was rummaging through. "For what sort of husband would I be had I not bought a beautiful dress for my wife?"

"Hey, we're not married yet, buddy," I said, finally relaxing and letting my hands drop to my side.

He opened the door, standing a few feet away and holding out his gift, as if to say "taa-daa." I went numb.

It was black. Long and elegant, and covered with intricate curved lines that sparkled silver in the light. Strapless, so the torso part would cling to my body a bit tighter, but at the waist, the fabric seemed a little looser, and the dress would just hang until right around my ankles. There were long white gloves with even more impressive designs of silver running over their skin. I almost didn't notice the diamond encrusted necklace and earring set that Satoshi held in his other hand.

I exhaled, reaching out to touch the dress, even if it was in a plastic bag. I could feel him watching my every move, as I brought my hand to my chest, as I looked at the dress, as I met his gaze.

"So you like it?" he asked, a small spark in his eye.

I tried to say something, but my throat was too dry. So I just ended up nodding a lot and making my eyes go wide.

He smiled, and I felt my heart speed up under my hand. "Good. I spent all yesterday waiting for the delivery man to bring it. All your other dresses have been with me since a day before my departure, but this one was somewhat of a burden to collect..."

"My... other dresses?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded. "I bought one for every formal party or get-together that we'll be attending. It's around fifteen, I believe-"

"Fifteen dresses?" I asked incredulously. "You bought me fifteen more of these angelic skins?"

His smile grew a bit. "I knew you'd like it. That's why I went through the trouble of it all."

I went limp and just stared at him, probably looking like a puppy. "You... are so..."

"Amazing? Perfect? The best husband in the world?"

I smirked, shaking my head. "You're sucking up big time."

And he chuckled, which is like a real laugh for him. "Am I doing a good job?"

I looked at the dress again, pretending that it was barely adequate to my taste. I heaved a sigh and shrugged my shoulders. "Well... if it's the best you could do on such short notice..."

He rolled his eyes and hung the bag on a rack behind the door, placing the earrings and necklace on the counter after he did so. "You may thank me anytime you wish."

"Yeah, yeah, just get out of the bathroom so I can get ready."

He gave me a look. "We still have another hour and a half-" He then abruptly stopped. "Nevermind, go ahead."

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry about the wait. The next one may be a while as well. I still have to decide where exactly I'm going with this, and what will happen next. I still have more chapters to write as well. Leave a review about how I'm doing!


	8. Parties

**A/N: **Thanks so much for all the faves!! I really appreciate the feedback. I'll try my hardest to make the chapters longer and whatnot, I've just been busy with a musical and talent show organization thing. I'll write more, I promise. I'm trying not to rush the relationship between Satoshi and Risa, but I'm trying to keep in mind that they've been best friends for years. They're probably really comfortable by now. Even with the awkwardness of meeting again after six months, Risa kind of broke that with her hug and jumping on the bed thing. I have, though, noticed the fluff in the piece, and it used to be worse before I edited it. I've never done thing angle of their relationship, so thank you all so much for bearing with me. I love you all!!

* * *

Parties

Satoshi pulled out his pocket watch to look at the time. He then looked back up at the gorgeous young woman that stood before him. "A new record."

Risa was blushing something awful. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. How late are we?"

"We're not."

"We're not?" A spark of hope. "But the clock-"

"The clock is correct," he informed her, pocketing his watch and extending his arm to her. "But I failed to mention to you that the party will be held in the ballroom downstairs."

Her eyes went wide. "There's a ballroom downstairs?" He gave her a look, and she blushed once more. "Well... well then... I'm glad." And with that, she took his arm, and the couple exited the confines of their room.

* * *

He loathed parties. Had he mentioned before how much he loathed parties? He hated parties more than he hated his father, and that was saying something. Only a moment had passed since they had entered, and they had been attacked.

"Oh, Satoshi, I just love parties!" Rang the voices of his co-worker's friends.

"They're so fantastical!"

"And grand!"

"Don't you just adore them?"

At times like these, he liked to humor himself and pretend there was a God, just so he could thank him for the security that Risa Harada provided him. She gripped his arm a bit tighter, assured the ladies that they did indeed love parties, then politely excused themselves, for they had "another acquaintance to speak with."

"Wow, Satoshi-kun," she said in a low voice once they had escaped. "Is it always like that?"

"Unfortunately no," he replied. "They're usually men."

When she looked at him, he looked back, and she broke into a grin. Though she was laughing at his annoyances, he couldn't help but admire her image. She had filled the dress out so perfectly... He made a mental note to draw a picture of her sometime during their stay in Tokyo.

"Hikari-san! How good it is to see you!" The famed Takeshi Kimoto walked up to him, and the two gentlemen shook hands. He felt Risa's grip tighten once more on his arm, though he was confused as to why. Kimoto smiled at him, good-naturedly, then turned to the young Harada. "And who might this young woman be?"

"This is Harada Risa... my fiancee," he said, almost forgetting the last part.

Kimoto beamed. "Ah, so this is the lucky girl!" He took Risa's hand and kissed it, surprising the couple just a bit. "I've heard much about you, Harada-san."

"O-oh, u-um... uh, thank you?"

Satoshi found himself wanting to laugh at Risa's confusion. That blush of hers had come back as well.

"I must go off and greet the other employees, but I invite you to sit with us at our table," He said politely. "It's over there, in front of the podium. There are a few other co-workers over there, along with my wife."

"U-um, yes. Thank you very much!" Risa put on her best smile, trying not to embarrass Satoshi, which he most appreciated, even if he didn't want to sit with his new boss.

Kimoto bowed one last time and left, freeing the two to meander over to the invited table.

"Who was that?" she whispered, her grip still tight.

"My new boss."

She stopped walking, causing him to slightly whiplash. He looked at her. "No way." When he nodded, she looked bewildered. "But he's so young!"

"I know."

She paused as they slowly began walking again. "... He's very nice."

Satoshi shrugged. "I suppose."

Risa then giggled. "Oh, but not as nice as you, honey dumpling," she said teasingly, pouting and distorting her voice as if she were speaking to a child.

He involuntarily shivered, causing her to laugh. Ignoring his embarrassment, and finally reaching their destination, he introduced everyone to his... fiancee.

* * *

He didn't know how much time had passed since their arrival, but it felt like eternity. Even through the grand introduction, and the hundreds of people clapping for him and the other newly-hired employees. All aquaintances had been made, punch had been drunken several times along with just as many bathroom visits. The diner had been served, and so had the desserts, and at least three "slow" songs had been played. He had watched co-workers, his boss' wife, his boss, all roaming about the ballroom.

He had never been so bored in his life.

Except for maybe at the last party he went to.

Risa was talking to the boss' wife, by the food and punch table. They seemed to be enjoying each other's company, which was good. He figured that Risa would need a female to talk to throughout the next few weeks. For a moment, though, the conversation took a turn. Risa's cheeks went pink, and she swirled her one thumb nervously. The boss' wife, Machi-san he recalled, had a remote, sad look in her eye.

Interesting.

Then Kimoto magically appeared as he so often did, obscuring only his view of Risa. He spoke to them for a minute, then Satoshi saw Risa throw her head back and laugh. A pang of jealousy hit him, and before he knew what he was doing, he was on his way to their gathering.

It felt strange to walk after so much sitting down.

"Ah! Hikari-san!" Kimoto said with a grin as he approached them. "I was just about to call to you. I was going to dance with my wife and I didn't want your lovely Harada-san to be alone."

_She's not _**my**_ Harada-san_, he found himself thinking as he looked at Kimoto. He then caught sight of Kimoto's smile and the way he held his wife's hand. He scolded himself for overreacting. He just wasn't used to other men making Risa laugh like that...

"Anyway," Kimoto said to the two young adults. "Now that you are indeed here, I must be off." He left, with Machi-san, and Satoshi was left to look at Risa.

He felt that something was wrong. He didn't know what or why, but she most definitely had looked uncomfortable. "Are you alright?"

"... Um, fine, thanks," she said distantly, unconvincingly. He glared at her, and (upon seeing so), Risa snapped back to her senses. "I'm sorry. I was just... It's just..." He waited, and she sighed. "You're very quiet tonight."

"That's not what's been bothering you."

She smiled slightly. "No, but I just thought I'd point that out..." He nodded, waiting for her to continue. She inhaled. "Um... I-is Kimoto-san for real? I-I mean... is he sincere? In what he says and does?"

He scowled. "As far as I can collect, yes. Why do you ask?"

She shook her head, looking past his shoulder, probably at Kimoto dancing with his wife on the dance floor. "I don't know... Maybe it was just me... I mean... Ah, I don't know..."

It was unnerving to see her so distressed. "... Dance with me."

_What?_

"What?"

Satoshi didn't dance. She knew he didn't dance. He _couldn't_ dance. Why had he just asked her to dance when he was physically unable to do so himself?

"... Dance with me, Harada-san."

* * *

**A/N: **Whoo. Next one will be a while as well. You guys rock for staying with me so long!!


	9. Muddled Thoughts

**A/N: **I'm listening to the waltz that Celine sings to Jesse in _Before Sunset_. Such a good movie, along with it's first part _Before Sunrise_. God, I'm such a dork that I balled at both the movies. Anyway... Thanks again for your feedback! I love it! I don't know how long this story will be, but I think (because of what other surprises I will throw in along the way), it's at a good pace. I hope so anyway. Let me know if I'm wrong. Enjoy!

**EDIT: **Um... Edited it... That's all.

* * *

Muddled Thoughts

I didn't know how much time had passed since our arrival, but it felt like eternity. Honestly, how long could business parties last? There were introductions and formal introductions (which I didn't even know if there was a difference) and golf claps and... more golf claps. BORING! Parties were supposed to be fun, not something to lull me to sleep, yet this one sort of did. I was lucky that Machi-san, Kimoto's wife, was friendly. I figured that I'd need a female's company throughout the month.

Satoshi was acting so strange though! He scowled at everyone, and spoke only in mono-syllables. When he'd introduce me to a co-worker, that was all he did. I or the co-worker would dominate the conversation. He never had anything nice to say about the co-workers either. I didn't blame him because he was sort of shanghaied into this, but still. I had forgotten just how anti-social he could be! It's not like I haven't seen him like that before, but it's been a long time. I guess it just weirded me out because I hadn't seen him like that since early High School years. I made a mental note to talk to him later that night.

It was getting late, and I was tired. I had been walking around for a while, since Satoshi wasn't saying much to me. That and I almost fell asleep whenever I sat down. Machi must have noticed this, hence her pulling me over to the food table in order to occupy my mind. I didn't like just how she occupied it, though. "You and Hikari-san make a fine couple." Machi sort of sprung that on me as we stood drinking punch.

I 'hmph'ed, indifferent. "Really? How do you figure?"

Machi shrugged as I took a bite of a stale cookie. "You two have a connection." The cookie got staler. "Even if you don't show it, I can sort of feel it. A lot of couples would love to have what you and Hikari-san do."

It was my turn to shrug. "Well, we were friends for a while so... it's no big deal..."

My companion smiled sweetly while I tried to find a trash can to throw my cookie into. "My dear, he hasn't looked at any other girl, even before you came over for this business deal. He loves you very much."

At the last part, I could feel myself blush. "U-um... you think so?" At this, Machi laughed, and I forced on a smile. Satoshi didn't think of me like that. I mean... I was sure of it. I'm sure he'd be displeased at the very least to hear how Machi was talking. Desperate to change the subject, I coughed and said, "W-well... Kimoto-san seems to be very devoted to you as well."

At the sound of his name, Machi calmed down and a remote look spread through her eyes. "Ah, yes... Takeshi..."

_Huh? What's with that attitude?_ "... What is it?"

Machi smiled at me again, and tried to shrug it off. "Nothing, dear. I just... we weren't..." She made a face, then shook her head, as if thinking the thought was stupid. "Never you mind, Risa-chan."

I wasn't convinced. Machi's smile hadn't faded all night, and now, suddenly, it was gone. Did she not like her husband? Was she in love with someone else? Was he? Was he a cheater? I gasped in terror as I thought of the possibilities. I was about to ask again, but Kimoto magically appeared from thin air, startling us. He had a habit of doing such things.

"Hello, ladies," he greeted, with a small bow. "And how are we doing on this fine evening?"

Machi answered with another shrug and a lack of eye contact. She seemed to be immersed in thoughts of her plastic cup of punch. I scowled at this.

"Very well, thank you," I replied for her hesitantly. I then turned to face him. "How are you doing, Kimoto-san?" I watched Machi from the corner of my eye, and wondered how long that slight tinge of pink had been staining her cheeks.

He made a face. "To be truthful, Risa-san, I've never been so bored in my life. All these people want to do is get inside my pants."

**_WHAT?_**

He smirked at seeing my face and added, "To my wallet, Risa-san."

I couldn't help but throw back my head and laugh. Who would have guessed that Kimoto had a good sense of humor?

"Clever, Ta-" Machi stopped and corrected herself. "- Kimoto-kun." I wondered why she didn't call him by his first name. She just rolled her eyes in a slightly playful manner. "What will you joke about next? Human waste? Body odor? You joke quite well."

It was then that Kimoto finally turned from me to send a special, wide grin towards his wife. "Oh, you know me too well, my dear, but you are mistaken. I do not joke very well."

"I said that you joked _quite_ well."

"Ah, _quite_ well is not _very_ well. I am satisfied."

Then there was a pause in the conversation, where the two just looked at each other. I don't know why, but it was awkward. It was sort of like they weren't used to joking with each other, and after such an exchange, they didn't know what else to say. Kimoto looked like he was struck stupid, still smiling at her, and Machi looked a little less than shocked. I kept looking at them back and forth, wondering what the hell was going on.

Maybe they had a good relationship until Kimoto had cheated, which may have been really recent. Then maybe they were angry with each other, but they weren't quite used to staying angry with one another. Or maybe Machi still hadn't found out and she was just in suspicion, so she didn't want to seem too friendly with him because of what she thought she knew. Or maybe they were in the same predicament as Satoshi and I! No, no that wasn't possible. Ah! Or maybe Kimoto was gay and neither of them knew it until a few days ago and they both don't know what to do! Or maybe-

"Ah! Hikari-san!" Kimoto said, snapping me out of my extravagant stupor. "I was just about to call to you." I glanced at my... husband, unaware of how long he had been standing in our little gathering. "I was going to dance with my wife and I didn't want your lovely Harada-san to be alone."

He and I both gave Kimoto a confused look. I was wondering, "Me? Lovely? I know you're polite, but this is a little too polite, don't you think?" I don't know what Satoshi was thinking, but I hope it wasn't what I was thinking.

"Anyway," Kimoto said after Satoshi hadn't replied. "Now that you are indeed here, I must be off."

Or maybe Kimoto is a player, and he keeps track of all the girls he sleeps with and all his targets. And Machi found the record in a conspicuous, little, black book, and she knows that he's after me! And then she wants to befriend me to warn me of her husband's dirty ways! Or perhaps-

Satoshi was looking at me. "Are you alright?"

"... Um, fine, thanks," I responded, still deep in thought. He shot me a glare, and shook myself back to some state of sense. "I'm sorry. I was just... It's just..." He waited, and I sighed. "You're very quiet tonight."

"That's not what's been bothering you."

Damn him. He always knew everything somehow. "No, but I just thought I'd point that out..." I inhaled, trying to choose my words carefully. How was I going to break it to Satoshi that his new employer was a lying, cheating, creepy, possibly gay sort of man? "Um... I-is Kimoto-san for real? I-I mean... is he sincere? In what he says and does?"

He scowled, instantly making me reconsider my thoughts. "As far as I can collect, yes. Why do you ask?"

I shook my head, glancing past him to watch Kimoto dance with Machi a little. "I don't know... Maybe it was just me... I mean... Ah, I don't know..."

A silent moment passed, him watching me intently. Then he pulled something completely out of his ass. "... Dance with me."

_What?_

"What?"

Satoshi didn't dance. I knew he didn't dance. He _couldn't_ dance. He had told me so at my senior prom. Yes, we had gone together, but only because we were good friends, and we both didn't want any stressful feelings of trying to impress another person who wasn't a friend. We just wanted to go and have a good time and-

Anyway...

The point is that Satoshi doesn't dance. He never has, and he never bothered to learn. Him asking me to dance was like me asking if I could randomly perform complex calculus equations for the hell of it. It just didn't happen.

"... Dance with me, Harada-san," he said, a sort of pleading in his eyes.

"... No, I... S-Satoshi, we..." I made a face, unable to say no. "I... Ugh, fine!" I added, mumbling, "Confusing, insufferable man..."

He smiled at me as we walked out to the dance floor. He held one hand at waist-level, and the other out to his side. I gave him a look. "This isn't the 1600's."

He glared at me, unimpressed, and I stuck out my tongue. I noted, with satisfaction, that I had I made him blush too. So, taking charge, I took both his hands and put them on my hips, then placed my hands on his shoulders. And we began to sway...

Which is really a pitiful excuse for dancing, might I add.

"This is really awkward," I told him. He wasn't surprised at my bluntness. We had been friends too long to let awkward moments ensue between us. Whenever something was awkward, we stated the fact, and tried to come up with a way to fix it. That was much better than going through hours of awkwardness.

"Well, if you just relaxed and let me lead, we wouldn't have this problem." I huffed, knowing full well that he was right. I was just distracted and not entirely in the mood to dance. "Risa... please tell me what's wrong."

Damn that man to the bloody viles of hell. He was so adorable when he wanted to know the ins and outs of my drama...

I sighed, letting my hands fall to my sides, though he kept his on my waist. "Machi-san and Kimoto-san don't seem... connected." He frowned questioningly at me, and I had to push away the doubt. "I just... I... Kimoto-san seemed to like me a little too much... for a first impression... and I don't mean to sound self-centered, but-"

"I know," he cut me off, understanding. "I think I noticed it as well."

I exhaled with relief. Thank God it wasn't just me thinking that way. "Good. I mean... it's not good, but still."

He nodded.

We spent a few moments in silence, me still upset about Kimoto. Machi didn't deserve such an unfaithful man. She was so sweet and kind. Why did the good girls like us always get screwed?

"Don't worry about it," Satoshi told me, tugging me a little closer. I looked up at him; at the confident spark in his eyes. "I'll keep an eye on him."

That was when I noticed the distance between us... or... lack thereof. Our noses were practically touching, every breath he let out tickling my lips. My faced burned, and his teeth clenched. And it was sort of like those scenes in the movies, just before the hero kissed the heroine. Eyes darting back and forth from the other's eyes to the other's lips. Shallow breathing. Uncertainty. Confusion. A little light-headedness. The slowing of time. The quickening heartbeat. The incredible attentiveness of his hands on the small of my back. Then he licked his lips.

_What came next in those scenes? Oh, that's right..._

Then he spoke. "Awkward?"

_Huh? What? Awkward? No kiss?_

I gulped, nodding. "U-uh... y-yeah. Aw-awkward..."

_It wasn't awkward! Kiss me, idiot!_

We quickly backed away from each other, unsure of what to do next. I managed to stutter out a sentence or two about me being tired and going to the room for the night. I didn't stick around to hear him protest. My head was swimming. Halfway down the hall, I noticed that I was running. I didn't stop, though. I ran all the way up the stairs and into the room, not stopping until I was stripped of my fancy dress and jewelry, and thoroughly soaked in hot water from the shower.

I just needed to relax, that was all. I wasn't used to acting like a couple with anyone.

Well, not anyone. I had a few boyfriends over my lifetime... but this was different. This was unexpected, and weird, and...

This was Satoshi.

* * *

**A/N: **I know I repeated some text from the last chapter, but I'm doing that on purpose. The "quite well vs. very well" exchange between Kimoto and Kuragi is taken from _Pride and Prejudice_, the 2005 version with Kiera Knightly. I'm sorry if this chapter seems a little short. Maybe it's because reading is faster than writing. Oh well. Reviews?

**EDIT: **Kuragi is not a first name. Machi is. Fixed the third person shit. Tried to make it more personal to Risa. I want to make a very noticeable difference whenever Satoshi narrates and Risa narrates. Risa is much more emotional and we are seeing her thoughts/though process. Whereas Satoshi just goes through the movements, and states what he feels. Also, Risa pretty much knows that she's in love with Satoshi. She's known it for a long time. She just doesn't really want to express it/doesn't know how to go about expressing it. Anyway... any better?


	10. The Kiss

**A/N:** Wabi, shhh! :3 Anyway, if you haven't seen, I changed chapter nine quite a bit, so you might want to go back and reread it if you haven't already. The changes I made were kind of important.

* * *

The Kiss

Satoshi had only ever felt great regret a few times in his life. A few when he let Dark get away, once when he didn't punch his father in the face for insulting his friends, and the last for not staying as connected to Risa as he used to in the past months.

But that moment, right there, on the dance floor... that was the greatest and worst regret of Satoshi Hikari's life.

He had wanted to pull her closer, to hug her and make her stop worrying, but he had no intention of... of being so... of practically...

Satoshi clenched his fists, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. He walked around the ballroom for a few minutes, brooding. Then an idea hit him, and he excused himself from the party, briefly discussing the whereabouts of the hotel's pool with a manager.

* * *

As the socks in his shoes rubbed against his skin, Satoshi chided himself for not thinking clearly. He had more tuxes, but still. He really shouldn't have done such a juvenile thing while wearing a nice diner jacket. Walking to his room, he glanced down at the glasses in his hands. At least he remembered to take those off before his little adventure.

The card slid in to it's hole, the light turned green, and Satoshi stepped into his room. He looked around, droplets of water still cascading down his face. The TV was on, and Risa sat on the couch in a fluffy white bathrobe, watching it. He also noticed that Risa was eating from a pint of Ben&Jerry's ice cream. Upon hearing him enter the apartment, though, Risa turned.

Her mouth dropped. "Satoshi Hikari, what did you do?!"

He frowned, momentarily forgetting everything, and focusing instead on her hair. "You're hair is wet, Harada-san."

She was practically speechless. "_M-My_ hair?!"

He then shivered at the air-conditioning and figured out why she was so surprised. "Ah. Yes. I'm sorry, I went for a swim."

"At one in the morning?!"

He smirked. "You'd be surprised at what they let rich people do."

Risa just glared at him. "Go take a shower, baka! Before you get a cold!" Satoshi smiled. He couldn't help it really. He was just so happy. "What? What are you staring at?"

He shook his head slightly. "Nothing... I'm just glad we're back to normal, as opposed to earlier tonight." Risa quieted, a deep shade of crimson tainting her cheeks. She looked away, pulling at the ends of her hair. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

She rolled her eyes and waved it away with a hand. "It's not like this was the first time." Satoshi was struck dumb for a second. He had almost forgotten that day. "Stop apologizing and get in the shower, idiot. Before you catch pneumonia and die would be preferable."

He almost laughed. "A bit over-dramatic, but I'll take it. To the shower, then."

* * *

No, Satoshi hadn't really almost forgotten that day. He always remembered it. He just tried not to.

It was strange seeing Risa so dedicated to something other than stalking. He just sort of watched her for a while, intrigued. She was painting with acrylics after school, listening to her iPod. She was haunched over a table, cups with blended colors spread around her. No one else was in the room due to a faculty meeting, but the teacher had let her stay, which was peculiar, but good for Satoshi.

He heard her humming as she worked. As he watched her strain, he slowly began walking towards her. She almost didn't look like she was moving for a moment, then he saw her forearm twitch as she wet her brush with more needed paint, then she was back to the same position, only able to paint a few strokes at a time. He finally reached a point where he could see over her shoulder, and he saw that she was painting/outlining tiny areas in black. If she was frustrated at the tediousness of her job, she didn't show it. Her face was blank, brow furrowed in concentration.

It was then that he had realized that Risa had grown up. True, they were only juniors in High School, but she really had... and he had missed it. When had she began to wear her hair in a pony-tail? When had she stopped putting on make-up in the morning? When had she grown two inches _without_ the heels? It was stunning, really, to see that so much of her had changed without him taking time to notice or comment on it.

No, even that wasn't true. He had noticed it. He had noticed her emotional maturity, but not the physical aspect of it all. He was always too shy, or too nervous to actually _really_ look at her. Now that he had, Satoshi was forced to admit that she was one of the most beautiful girls in the whole school, even without the accessories and make-up.

At that time, Risa put down her brush and cup, and stood up straight. Satoshi could almost tell how long she had been in such a position because of all the bones that cracked in her back. During mid-stretch was when she caught sight of him. She screamed a bit and stumbled back, then put her hand to her heart and laughed.

"Good God, Satoshi-kun!" She hit his arm. "You scared me!" She paused a moment to catch her breath, removing the headphones from her ears. "How long have you been standing there?"

He shrugged one shoulder. "What are you listening to?"

"Huh? Oh, just some silly pop music. You wouldn't like it."

"Ah."

"But I've been getting better!" She quickly found a song on her iPod and put the headphones to his own ears. "Listen."

He placed one stud in his ear, so she placed the other in hers. He was quite surprised to find himself listening to a classical instrumental that he had sent her as an mp3 file online one night. Satoshi felt his emotionless mask leave him as he stared at her.

She beamed. "Recognize it?"

He nodded silently, then allowed himself to glance at her work once more. "Art project?"

Risa nodded enthusiastically as she scratched her face and wiped her brow. "Yeah. I have to stay after a lot because there are so many little details that I have yet to paint..." She exhaled. "It's a pain, really, but it'll be worth it."

A piano solo played in his ear. "It's very good." She gave him a look. "Really, it is. And because I say so, it's a fact."

"Good then! A Hikari approves of my work. Now I can become world-renowned!"

"I never said that."

"Oh, ho. So now I'm _not_ a good artist?"

He rolled his eyes as Risa giggled, but they knew that she was just teasing him. A content silence fell across the room. Some soft woodwinds and a muted trumpet backed-up the piano. Satoshi looked at her once more; at her head that was lolled to the side, and her closed eyes, and her shoulders that heaved up and down when she breathed. She must have been tired.

There was a spot of black paint on her cheek, so Satoshi reached out to wipe it away. At his touch, Risa's eyes opened, but she didn't back away. That was when he felt the goosebumps.

"Paint on my face?" He nodded. She nodded.

He then scowled. "It's not coming off."

"It's acrylic."

"I know." So he licked his thumb and tried again. She made a face. There was another moment of silence as Satoshi successfully removed the paint, but continued to stroke her cheek. Her skin was so soft...

"Icky," she finally said, but smiling nonetheless. "Satoshi's germs."

There was a pause, where both of them half-expected for a teacher to walk in, but none did. So it happened. She leaned forward... or perhaps he leaned forward. He wasn't quite sure. One of them moved, and they came together, and something clicked. He remembered everything. How she slightly smelled of paint, how soft her hair was, how her hands clung to the front of his shirt. She tasted like strawberry-flavored chapstick and chocolate...

They slowly separated, a second or two passed, and he went back for more.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll see ya, Frank! I've got a delinquent in my room who needs to be checked up on!"

Upon hearing the teacher coming from around the corner, they flew back from each other.

"Ow!"

"Ow!"

"Alright, Harada-san, how is the project coming along?" The teacher entered the room to see both students clutching one of their ears. The middle-aged woman laughed at the iPod that had fallen, abandoned, on the ground. "I can't tell you how many times I've done that. Stepped away while a headphone was in my ear. Hurt's like a bitch, doesn't it?"

There was a blur of his memory as Risa, flustered, cleaned up her things, whereas Satoshi picked up the iPod and placed it on the table, making polite conversation with the teacher. His driver called him and told Satoshi that he was outside. So he bid the teacher farewell. That was when he stopped at the doorway and turned to Risa, as she was washing her dainty, paint-stained hands in the sink. He remembered her looking up at him, and they both blushed. He was about to hurry out, but she called out.

"Satoshi-kun!"

He turned once more. "Yes?"

She gave a weak smile. "Awkward?"

And he gave a weak smile back. "Awkward."

They never spoke of it again.

* * *

**A/N: **Alright, I thought I'd be nice (again) and post another chapter in a short amount of time. I'm doing my best. I just got a couple ideas for this a few days ago, so I'm trying to go with it before I forget them.


	11. Of Boredom and Surprises

**A/N: **I really don't care whether or not there is a park down the road from the Marriott Hotel. There is such a place in my story. Anyway... Enjoy!

* * *

Of Boredom and Surprises

I don't remember what happened after that. Satoshi got in the shower after I yelled at him, and I guess I fell asleep. I awoke with a blanket draped over me and a note taped to my forehead. Blinking, I detached the paper and read, in crystal clear cursive:

_I'm at work. I'll be home around five-o-clock. Call the number on the refrigerator if there are any problems.  
_

_Satoshi_

I yawned, crumpling the note and tossing it aside. He sounded just like a father. Sitting up, I stretched and looked around. It was then that I realized that I had nothing to do for the next five hours. I scowled and mumbled complaints as I ate my breakfast... or... brunch, seeing as how it was noon. I decided to call Satoshi before I spent an hour or so in the shower.

"Risa? Are you alright?" he immediately asked when I phoned him.

"Of course I am," I said through a yawn. "Why?"

He sighed. "You know this is my cell phone number."

"Yes."

"And I'm at work."

"Of course."

"This is sort of for emergencies only."

I pouted. "But this _is_ an emergency, Hubby-wubby!"

"Don't call me that."

"Seriously, Satoshi. I'm bored."

"You are not. You probably just woke up."

I grimaced, annoyed at how well he knew me. "Well... I _will_ be bored."

"So?" he asked as I heard papers shuffling in the background. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"You could sing for me."

"I'm hanging up the phone."

"Really, just a jingle from a commercial would do."

"Good-bye, Risa."

"What, no cute nickname?"

I laughed when I heard a dial tone. A part of me felt bad, because I had called him at work and probably embarrassed him, but whatever. We abused each other like that. I had no doubt that he would extract his revenge on me later that day.

* * *

The next couple of days were pretty much the same. I'd wander around Tokyo while Satoshi worked, going into shops, strolling around town, walking through the parks. You'd think sooner or later, I'd get bored, but no. Tokyo never ceased to amaze me.

Neither did Satoshi, for that matter.

"It's Saturday."

"Good morning, Risa," he said calmly to the receiver. "You really need to stop calling my cell phone while I'm at work."

"Did you hear me, Satoshi?"

"About it being Saturday? Yes, I did hear that."

"Then what are you doing at work?"

"I just want to tie up a few things so I don't get overloaded in the following weeks. I'll be home around five."

"You're never home around five. You always say that you will be, but you never are."

"Well, I promise this time."

I sighed and stretched as I lay in bed. "Alright. So long as you promise." He never broke a promise.

"I do."

"Ok... oh, hey! Do you want to have a movie and pizza night when you get home? Just the two of us?"

There was a small pause. "... I have no problem with it, but may I ask why?"

"I don't know," I replied tiredly. "Because we can, and because-" I felt my face heat up. "-Because I miss you."

"You miss me?"

"We don't get to hang out very much, Satoshi, and you know it."

By the time he would get home, he'd always be exhausted, which I completely understood. I always let him sleep and whatnot, but it was beginning to get a little weird. I knew that we were living together, but I hardly got to see him. And one week had already passed, we only had three more. I guess the absence was alright, especially after that first party, but I just-

"I miss you too, Risa."

* * *

What was to become of us?

I gazed up at the sky, sitting on a bench in one of the public parks. I wasn't angry, just... frustrated. I couldn't for the life of me stop thinking about Satoshi. The past week had been a blur of solitary and awkward moments. Satoshi and I got along, but he was sort of never there. And when he was within the same confines of our apartment/room, he was either tired or sleeping. I felt bad for him, but at the same time, I was concerned. Was this how the rest of the month would be? If we ever got together, is that how our life would be?

I smiled sadly to myself. It's a good thing he didn't feel that way about me. _Otherwise, our marriage would be duller than the color gray. Still..._

"Oi! Harada-san!"

I was awoken from the thoughts by the sound of someone calling my name. I turned to face none other than Kimoto-san, waving and walking towards me with a grin on his face. I smiled at him, but was rather close to running away with panic. I knew I was being foolish, but my imagination always managed to get the best of me.

"Hello, Kimoto-san," I greeted him as he reached me. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing, really," he said with a shrug. "Just walking. What about yourself?"

"The same," I replied. "I just sat down to rest."

He nodded. "Mind if I join you?"

Yes! "Not at all." I scooted over so we sat mostly center-bench, and we quieted. It was so weird.

"Why are you out walking alone?" Kimoto asked.

"Just passing the time, I guess," I said. "Satoshi's working, so-"

"Hikari-san is working?" His eyebrows perking up. "What's he doing that for? It's Saturday."

I giggled. "I know! That's what I said!"

"Machi would give me the silent treatment for weeks if I worked on the weekends," he said with a laugh. "Then again," he added, unsure. "We don't talk much, so it's not a drastic change..."

_What the hell am I supposed to say to that?!_

"This is where we met, actually," he said, trying not to make things awkward. He motioned to the area around us.

"Really?" I asked. "That's pretty cool."

He nodded again. "Yep. This is where we met, and this is where I proposed."

"Oh, that's so cute!" I couldn't help but gush. "You brought her back to this spot when you proposed to her!" _Props to the romantic side of Kimoto._

He gave a forced laugh. "Yeah. Pretty, um... special..."

So if things were awkward before, I didn't even know what to call that. We were just stuck.

"U-um," I stammered, nervously. "I-I don't mean to pry, but are you and Machi alright?"

He gave me a look that was false confusion mixed with a little helplessness. "What? Oh, yes! Machi and I are great! We're fine! Never better, really. We-" He stopped suddenly, our eyes locking. "No. You know something? We're not alright."

I felt the color drain from my face. "R-really? H-how so?"

He sighed, still looking at me. "You're a very smart girl, Harada-san. Personable, kind, unbelievably good-looking..." I looked away, my heart rate increasing. "And I need your help with something."

_Just say no. Whatever it is, say no. What if he tries to touch me? No, oh hell no. If he touches me, I swear to God, I'll-_

"See, this is where I met Machi and where I proposed to her... how do I say this... at the same time."

_... Huh?_

I looked at him, and he looked at me.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" he asked, desperation in his eyes.

My jaw went slack for a moment. "You... didn't know... but how-?" I stopped, my eyes going wide. "You had an arranged marriage?!"

* * *

**A/N: **I'm going to write more, I promise. I've been trying to update as quickly as possible, but I got sick on Saturday, and I was out until Wed, so I've been a bit busy. I know that not much happened, so forgive me. But I promise I'm working on everything!


	12. An Explination

**A/N: **I know, I'm breaking the Risa-Satoshi-Risa-Satoshi pattern of chapter flow, but I think, somehow, we shall survive.

* * *

An Explination

Kimoto had his head in his hands, elbows on knees, and was slumped forward in embarrassment. I, on the other hand, had no shame, and could only stare at him, mouth hanging wide open in awe.

"You and Machi-san... don't even _know_ each other?!" It was absurd. "What century do we live in here?"

Kimoto laughed at me, but sighed and gave a helpless shrug. "I know it sounds insane, Harada-san, but Machi-san and I come from very similar families, who both happen to be very old fashioned." He quickly added, mumbling, "And we do know each other... a little..."

"Well... then... how..." I couldn't find the right question to ask. I just sat back against the bench and crossed my arms, dumbfounded.

"Machi and I went to school together," Kimoto explained, sitting back as well. He shoved his hands in his pockets. "I was the popular President of Student Council, and she was Captain of the Math and Trivia team. We hardly ever crossed paths, save for one or two classes throughout the four years of High School. We were polite to each other, but we were just random classmates. We had completely forgotten about each other by the time our arranged marriage came about."

"But _why_?" I blurted out. "Seriously, who still believes in that stuff?"

Kimoto gave a bitter chuckle. "My father and her mother. Both wanted their children to marry money and stature." He paused before adding softly, "We were lucky, the two of us."

"How do you figure _that_?" I asked, not understanding.

"We could've married complete strangers," he replied casually. "Machi-san and I are _almost _complete strangers."

I was about to ask if that's the reason why he cheated on her, but I bit my lip at the last second.

"So... you two are... distant?" I tried to clarify.

He half nodded his head to the side. "Well, yes. And, of course, most marriages fail because of a lack of prior knowledge, and miscommunication, and distance... but, I think I have a bigger problem."

_He's gay! I _**knew**_ it! He _**has**_ to be gay._

"What's that?" I asked, looking at him for any sort of sign.

He leaned forward, so his elbows once again rested upon his knees, and he clasped his hands together. His head bobbed up and down a little, and he inhaled. "I think I'm in love with her."

_Damnit!! Wait... what??_

* * *

Satoshi sighed as he placed another stack of papers in a vanilla envelope. He put that on top of a stack of similar-looking envelopes, stood and took that stack down the hall to a different office, the left them upon an empty desk. He walked back to his office and sat down at his computer.

He sighed again, then checked the time. Only five minutes had passed since he last checked. He growled for a moment, chewing on the end of a pen. He spun in his seat a little, his eyes fixed on the white, digital numbers at the bottom left-hand corner of his screen.

Click. 3:47

Satoshi tossed aside his pen and rested his cheek on his hand. He had told himself to work until 4:30, leaving him enough time to get home at five, as he had promised.

But he was so _bored_!

And he _missed_ her.

And _she_ missed _him_.

Satoshi finally stood from his chair, ignoring the logical, work-oriented side of his brain. He grabbed his coat, putting it on as he walked out of his office and out of the building. Moto wasn't there to greet him, since he was leaving early, so he phoned him and instructed him not to pick him up. Moto protested, of course, but Satoshi would hear none of it.

It was a nice day. He could walk home.

Oh. But first he had an errand to run.

* * *

"I'm sorry," I said, blinking and shaking my head, confused as ever. "I... if you... I don't get it."

Kimoto smiled at me, then went back to staring forward, bobbing his head. "I think I'm in love with someone I hardly know... and I'm terrified."

"Wha... Terrified? Why would you be terrified?" I asked.

"If we try having an actual relationship, what will happen?" he asked, fear and uncertainty in his voice. "What if she doesn't like me? Or we're alright for a few months, and we figure out that we don't love each other? Our families don't approve of divorce. Not to mention the problems I'd have with keeping her to myself when she doesn't love me. It'll be as if we're trapped in a bad soap opera-"

"Hold on," I stopped him, putting a hand to his shoulder so that he would take a breath. "Just... hold on a second..."

"I'm sorry, Harada-san. I shouldn't have dumped all this on you-"

"Just hold on!" I interrupted once more, squeezing. "I'm not mad, I promise. Just... just let me think for a minute." I tried to process all the information he had so generously given me. "So... you and Machi-san don't really know each other..." He nodded. "But you do a little bit..." Another nod. "And you're in love with her..." He blushed at that. "But you're afraid that it won't work out..." Kimoto turned his gaze to me. "Kimoto-san... why are you afraid it wouldn't work?"

He shrugged. "I know I have a nice personality, and girls would drool over me in High School and college, and they still sort of do _now_..." He sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "But none of that matters."

_This guy was making _no_ sense _whatsoever_._

"Machi-san was never one of those girls," he explained. "She treated me as if I were any other young adult male. She'd scold me, and insult me, and joke with me a little. She wouldn't swoon over me in the halls while saying hello. She wouldn't stare at me while working on a project. She wouldn't try to start a hundred conversations with me while I studied, like the other girls. She'd just sit and wait, or walk away..." He stopped, pained at his own misunderstandings. "I just... I can't read her."

I myself sighed and patted his shoulder. "Well... why can't you spend more time with her?" He looked at me, expecting more. "Like... Just be honest. Tell her that the least you two could do is get comfortable with each other on a friendly and platonic level."

"But... it's awkward," he said pathetically.

I almost laughed. "Yes, I know it is, but it'll never get better if you don't try."

* * *

Satoshi checked the watch that was placed neatly on his wrist and scowled.

4:08

He placed the plastic bag he had been carrying upon the kitchen counter and began to loosen his tie. He tried again. "Risa? Are you in the bathroom?" He was greeted with the soft hum of the air conditioner. He tiredly ran his hands through his hair, then tried to call Risa on her cell phone.

Six rings later, Risa answered, "Hey! I'm not answering this thing right now. Don't know why, but-"

Satoshi hung up, frustrated. He checked his watch once again, only to find that a mere two minutes had passed. He took off his overcoat, so he was left in his white button-up and his suspenders, and he began to pace. He imagined himself looking back at this moment some day in the future and blushing at the rude thoughts that were running through his head. Yet, at that moment, he was a little too annoyed to be embarrassed, or rational for that matter.

He ran a hand through his hair once more, then walked out the door. He wasn't quite sure what he would accomplish by asking about her to the front office attendant, but he figured that he would give it a try. It didn't do any good. The attendant had just begun her shift, and the other one, who was probably present at the time of Risa's leaving, was gone.

So there he stood, outside the hotel, on the edge of the overcrowded sidewalk, befuddled and frustrated and, dare he say it... angry. He checked his watch.

4:30

The third black digit shifted so that it showed a 1 instead of a 0. Satoshi felt a headache coming on.

He jumped, startled at the vibrating sensation that was tickling his thigh. He pulled out his cellphone and answered, immediately knowing the number from a quick glance. "Risa?"

"Hey, Satoshi!" her voice greeted him cheerfully from the other line. "How's-?"

"Where the hell are you?" he snapped, a little surprised at himself, but too pissed to dwell on it.

"Where am I? Why?" A light bulb went off in her head, and she asked, coyly, "Were you worried about me?"

"Of course not. Don't be-"

"You were worried about me, Satoshi-Hubby-Poo-kun," she said, probably pursing her lips.

"Stop being so naiive," he said, irritated at the heat in his cheeks. "Now tell me where you are."

"I'm right behind you, love." He turned and looked through the glass doors at the young woman on the other side. She threw back her head and laughed, then waved. "I just got here. I'm surprised I didn't see you standing there, all moody and brooding and whatnot."

He glared at her, a bit too relieved to be extremely angry. "You... You are troublesome."

"What's that Satoshi? I can't hear you. You're breaking up!" He saw her lift her hand to her mouth as she made static sounds with her throat.

"You're right there, baka!"

She laughed again, then stopped herself. "Oh, Satoshi, how long have you been here?"

"Waiting for you, you mean?" He checked his watch again. Not like he needed to, but still. "About forty-five minutes."

She gasped, guilt flooding her feminine features. "Oh, Satoshi... I'm so sorry! I didn't think you were going to be home on time, nonetheless early!"

"I promised, didn't I?"

At this, her guilt deepened. "Oh, I know. Oh, Satoshi, I'm really sorry. Really, honestly, I didn't... I'm so-"

"It's fine," he cut her off, feeling uncomfortable. "Don't worry about it."

"But-"

"Stop it."

"But-!"

"No."

"But I-"

"If you insist upon apologizing, just make it up to me by watching movies and eating greasy, fattening, American food."

Then she smiled. That damn smile. It gave him shivers, it did. They way she looked at him, as if he had delivered the world to her... it never failed to lighten his mood.

Later, when they were sitting close together, watching the movie with horrible grease breath, he asked her where she had been. She paused for a moment, then said, "Nowhere."

* * *

**A/N: **:-D How you guys doing? I've been super busy with my art project and my civics project (gaghurl). But Civics is done, art is not, Algebra is going to be a BITCH, but w/e. Didja like mah story?


	13. One Eternity Later

**A/N: ** I do realize that it's been close to an eternity since I've updated, and I offer you all my sincerest apologies. Writer's block sort of takes time to get rid of. Enjoy!

* * *

One Eternity Later

I did feel bad about lying. I really did. Satoshi and I never had secrets between the two of us. Well... maybe one on my part not including this, but that's not the point. The point is that I've never really lied to him and gotten away with it. He must've been tired when I lied to him the night before.

I was typing on my laptop that Sunday morning, catching up on work-related e-mails and whatnot. I was a little to guilt-filled to sleep that night, so I woke up early to feel productive. I was sort of on paid vacation, but not entirely. I was on call 24-7 everyday, and they lowered my pay for four weeks, but it would be back to normal when I returned at the end of the month.

There was a high-pitched ding, and I clicked open the request for a video feed that my sister had sent me.

Her face appeared on my laptop screen, looking into the camera with a sweet smile. "Hey, Risa!"

"Hey, Riku!" I greeted her. "What are you doing up?"

She shrugged. "I have the same question for you."

"I have raging insomnia."

"I see."

"I'm a vampire."

"You're a compulsive liar."

"It's true," I said with a grin.

She laughed, and I saw Daisuke appear beside her. He waved at the camera, even though he had to bend down a bit. He had grown a number of inches since High School. "Heya, Risa-chan!"

"Hello, Daisuke!" I said, happy to see my friend again. "How are you guys?"

He shrugged, stretching. "Same old, same old. She hogs the sheets, I apparently snore..."

"You do," she said matter-of-factly. "And I do not hog the sheets." Riku couldn't see the face Daisuke made behind her back. I giggled. "But we're good, Risa. Lucky's here. Do you want to see her?"

"Oo yes!" I almost squealed. "How's my baby? Is she being good?" Riku made a sound of confirmation as she scooped down and picked up my kitty. She was growing a little, which made my heart ache. I missed my cat. I know it sounds pathetic, but I missed her. I had a moment or two where I spoke to the screen like I was actually there, in Riku's house, in front of my baby. Daisuke had to let out a hearty laugh.

"Wow, Risa-chan," he said, scratching Lucky behind the ear. "You really like this cat, don't you?"

"She has a name," I told him, blushing.

"I see black fur."

I jumped up with a yelp and scrambled to cover myself since I was only wearing short shorts and a cami. "Satoshi!"

He, on the other hand, didn't even bother to cover up his boxer-and-wife-beater-clad self. He inhaled, looking at the screen, and pointed. "Is that her?"

Flustered, I stuttered jibberish and finally managed to ask, "Huh?"

"Is that the feline you adopted in order to keep the promise to your sister?" he clarified, making me jealous that he could speak so intelligently at that time in the morning.

"How do you know about that?" Riku asked, pulling my attention back to the monitor. She glanced at me with a quirked eyebrow.

"I... u-um... I told him over the... the... the..."

"The phone?" Satoshi asked, his eyes finally settling on me. He blinked at my appearance, but said nothing.

"Y-yeah... the u-um... the phone... once... one time..." I looked at Riku, defeated. "I can't function this morning."

"You were fine a minute ago," Riku said, her face betraying the innocence in her voice.

"I have to go," I said quickly. "I'll introduce Lucky to Satoshi later. Take good care of her!" I didn't even bother to wait for a response before I disconnected the video feed. It was then that I turned to my room mate. "How long have you been up?"

He didn't even bother to check his watch. "Approximately six minutes. How long have you been dressed like that?"

My face flushed. "I don't know... I slept in this."

He seemed genuinely unaware to that fact, and he let out a thoughtful "hm." I could have sworn that I saw a tinge of pink in his cheeks, but he just shrugged and walked over to the coffee-maker. "Would you like a cup?"

* * *

That night, I was actually getting used to going to the many boring parties that Satoshi had been talking about. I conversed with the old ladies, forced down the stale cookies, managed to clap at the right times during speeches, etc, etc. Machi and I found each other and managed to avoid all the slimey business men for most of the night.

"So, Machi-san," I said after waving good-bye to a few stingy old couples that could only talk about the economy and the current recession. She looked at me, expectantly. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you and Kimoto-san meet?"

Old habits die hard, ok? I'm still a matchmaker at heart.

Machi blushed scarlet and began to fiddle with her white gloves. "O-oh. Well, um... we went to High School together."

I nodded, listening carefully as I took a sip of my punch. "That's interesting. I'm guessing you two were friends?"

She shrugged. "We were _acquaintances_, and sometimes we studied together..."

I let out a "hm." We both looked over to where Kimoto was making good humored conversation with Satoshi and a few of their business colleagues. I smiled at the contrast between her husband and mine. When Kimoto would laugh, it would cause the others in the group to smile in good nature. He was just so naturally friendly and easy-going. He kept patting Satoshi's shoulder and asking about his opinion. Of course Satoshi would say a sentence or two, take a sip of champagne, then continue to look around, bored with his life. I glanced back at Machi and saw that her blush had deepened.

I pointed at her face, intrigued. "You have freckles, Machi-san!"

"Eh?" She rubbed her face, looking away from the group of men. "Y-yes, but they're only really noticeable whenever I'm flushed..."

I giggled. "You're like a shy schoolgirl!"

Machi shook her head, smiling nonetheless. "Well... it's just... we're not... I mean..."

I stopped her by putting a hand to her arm. "It's alright, Machi-san. He told me about your marriage."

She looked astonished. "He did?"

I nodded and said in a quieter voice, "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

Machi took my hand in hers, looking eternally grateful. "I... don't quite know how to act around him, Risa-san."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused at her lack of confidence. "Just be yourself."

"Yes, but... I don't want to... _disappoint_ him."

"Disappoint him?!" I was in awe. "How could you do that?"

She let out a laugh. "We're from two different worlds, Risa-san. It's popularity versus intellect."

I waved it away. "Well, they say that opposites attract, you know."

Machi blushed again and gently hit my hand. "Oh, hush. Now you're just trying to make me feel better."

Laughing, I said, "Will you just try to talk to him?"

"I _do_ talk to him." At the look I gave her, Machi looked at her feet and added quietly, "Sort of..." She then made a face and looked at me. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't be so shy and embarrassed. I'm twenty-eight."

"Exactly!" I said, excited. "So you should have no problem just sitting down and talking to Kimoto."

"Right."

"Right! Power to the women!"

"My, my, you're getting awfully worked up, Harada-san."

I almost screamed when I heard Kimoto behind me. I whirled around, heat rushing to my face. "Kimoto-san! U-um... How long- you were just- I just..." He threw back his head and laughed, which gave me time to calm myself down. "We were just talking about you, actually."

"Were you?" Genuinely interested, he directed his attention to Machi. "And what nasty rumors were you spreading about me today?"

Machi actually gasped. "I have never spread any rumors! When I told those old ladies that you snore, I was being perfectly honest..."

Kimoto was smiling like a goof in love. "Yes, well, we can't all be as perfect as you, my dear." I almost gagged, but held in my sarcastic humor for the sake of Machi. They were having a moment, the two of them, and I wasn't really sure how to get myself out of it. I looked from Machi to Kimoto, settling on the latter because of the emotions running through his eyes. "You know-" he said suddenly, snapping me out of my daze. "-I was never one for caviar and punch."

Machi looked confused. "No, not really, but neither was I. And yet here we stand."

"I wonder..." he started, transforming from a confident businessman into a shy High School student. "Would it be improper... Would I be childish to ask... well, since the night is ending and all, I, u-um..."

From a little way away, I saw Satoshi looking at me. Once we made eye contact, he jerked his head towards the door, asking if I wanted to get the hell out. And I did, but I held up my index finger, signifying one more minute. He nodded.

An understanding smile appeared on Machi's face. "You want pizza, don't you?" Kimoto bobbed his head up and down, mouthing 'yes'. "Then go get pizza. I'll cover for you."

I never thought about strangling another person before that moment.

"Well... I was..." He stopped, giving a shrug. "You know... I'm getting a large."

Machi didn't seem to get it. "... Alright."

"Well, it requires two hands to carry a large pizza."

"... I suppose... if you want to be careful."

"Right, and I do want to be careful, since the pizza will be for two..."

"... Yes, that's true."

"Well... if I'm carrying the pizza, who will carry the soda?"

Machi blinked, that blush of hers creeping back. "Th-that is a very good point."

Satoshi and I made eye contact again, and he pointed to his wrist, as if to say 'sometime this year'. I made a desperate face and held up my index finger again.

"So," Machi said slowly. "It's obvious that we'll need two people to perform this task."

Kimoto nodded, hands in pockets. "Otherwise, we'll starve for the rest of the night."

"Well... that's not a very appealing concept."

"Not particularly."

"Then... what about this... You call the pizza delivery for the hotel on your cell phone... and I'll go get my shawl."

"Good! Good, excellent idea!" Kimoto took out his cell phone and dialed the number by memory. He was beaming like a moron. "It's a good thing I have you around, Machi." He winked at her.

Although she rolled her eyes, I could see freckles on her cheeks. She gave me a look as Kimoto turned away to place their order, and hugged me. "Until next time, Harada-san!" And she walked briskly away to grab her things. Relieved that I was no longer a part of their conversation, I made an attempt to walk away, but I was stopped.

"Yes... yes, that's correct," Kimoto was saying on his cell phone. He had reached out and taken my hand, and he was holding onto it. "Good. Good, excellent. Alright, thank you very much." He hung up his phone and smiled at me.

I glanced at his hand. "Um... do you need anything, Kimoto-san?"

He shook his head, chuckling, and took my hand in both of his. "I just wanted to thank you, Harada-san. You're a true friend, you know that?"

"I, um... thank you?"

He kissed my hand, then walked towards the exit to meet up with his wife. I smiled at his compliment, feeling giddy inside. I almost skipped over to Satoshi.

"What was that all about?" Satoshi asked, and I detected a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"He was just thanking me, that's all," I replied as we walked towards the exit.

"For what?"

"For... well, it's sort of a long story. Can I tell you some other time?"

He scowled and put a hand on my arm so we could stop moving. "I'd really like to know why he was being so affectionate towards you."

I felt horrible for making him worry over me, but I couldn't tell him about Kimoto and his wife in the midst of so many people. I put a hand on his shoulder "Satoshi-kun, he was just-"

"It looked like he was doing more than just thanking you," he interrupted, shrugging my hand away.

"Well, he _wasn't_," I said, hurt and a little angry. "He just-"

"Ah, Hikari-san!" A big, burly man came out of nowhere, slamming Satoshi's back with his large hand. "Headed home with the Mrs. I see! I was just about to do the same thing, myself!"

"Very well. Goodnight, Mede-san," Satoshi said stiffly, rolling his shoulders, trying to ease the pain.

"Yes, yes, goodnight, Hikari-san!" He turned and took my hand in his. "And a goodnight to you, Miss-" He stopped, opening his palm so that my hand was lying on top. "Huh. That's strange."

"What is?" I asked, confused as to why an unidentifiable man was calling me weird.

He looked from me, back to my hand, then back at me again. He glanced at Satoshi, settling his eyes on my once more. "You're married, aren't you?"

"Well, engaged, yes," I replied.

Mede looked at Satoshi, holding up our hands. "Didn't you get her a ring, Hikari-san?"

* * *

**A/N:** I'm sorry, again, that this took so long. Sorry it's mostly dialog as well.


	14. First Fight

**A/N:** Blah. Writing fights is hard.

* * *

First Fight

For all his life, he thought that Risa was a bad liar. He could see through every single lie she told, even if it was a tiny fib. He couldn't understand how all the officers in his police force were fooled by Risa's obvious lies. The batting eyelashes and cute smile helped distract his men, but Satoshi figured that his regiment had more sense than others. Of course he was wrong, and Satoshi was always irritated at how oblivious his men were. But at that moment in time...

Satoshi had to admit that Risa Harada was actually pretty good at lying.

The two of them paled, looking at one another, and Risa's eyes suddenly became glassy. She gasped and began to look around frantically. She then proceeded to cry, saying how the ring was "right here," or perhaps she had "left it in the bathroom." The next thing he knew, everyone around him was involved in a detailed search for Risa Harada's engagement ring. Even when asked what it looked like, she came up with a very detailed description of a ring with gold outlining... or mini-diamonds... or something like that...

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed, her body shaking. An entire hour had passed, and, of course, the ring wasn't found. "It was here! I know I was wearing it-"

"Don't you worry about a thing, Harada-san," the hotel manager said comfortingly. "We'll have all of our employees looking for it. I'm sure it'll turn up."

All those around them were saying the same thing. Risa had her face buried in her hands as people escorted her and Satoshi out to their limo. Satoshi put his arm around her awkwardly.

"You must be so angry with me," she said pitifully.

"I'm... I'm not... I-" he stopped, defeated. "... We'll find it. I'm sure we will."

The businessmen and women bid them goodnight as they climbed into their limo and Moto drove off. As soon as they were out of sight of the hotel, Risa sank into her seat, relaxing. After a minute or two of her wiping the remaining tears from her eyes, she looked at him and said with a relieved, but triumphant look, "That went well, I think."

* * *

"S-Satoshi?"

Satoshi looked up from his cup of tea that he was preparing, and peered into the worried eyes of his fiancee. She had changed from her expensive gown into a tank-top and sweatpants, seeing as how it was nearly midnight. He, on the other hand, was still in his tux pants, suspenders, and white button-up shirt. He didn't mind too much. He had spent the past twenty minutes thinking about how well Risa had lied, and how strange it was to watch her cry.

Every time Satoshi had witnessed Risa cry, it hurt him. He _knew_ that he hated to see her cry, but that night, it hadn't been so bad. Maybe it was because she was faking, and maybe it was because he was angry. Or maybe it was a combination of the two. Either way, he wasn't in the best of moods, even after she had completely saved his ass from one of the biggest mistakes in their little facade.

"What is it?" he asked, stirring the tea into his water.

Risa was fiddling her thumbs, her hair undone and falling over her face as she bowed her head. "Well, u-um... that ring I described... it's not too expensive, is it?"

"I can handle it. I'll send Moto to go get it tomorrow since no one in the business world recognizes him."

Risa nodded, relieved. "I'll pay you back."

Satoshi took a sip of his tea while he walked towards the couch. "It's not a problem." He could feel Risa staring at him as he sat down.

"Ok..." she paused. "... Are you mad at me?"

"That's interesting," he said evenly. "Why ever would you think that?"

He could practically feel her scowl at his sarcasm. "Satoshi, If you're mad at me, I don't know why."

For a moment, he considered letting it go. "It's nothing," he mumbled. "Go to sleep."

"_No_." She spoke defiantly, then made her way over to stand in front of him. "Why are you mad?"

He glared at her. "Because there's something that you're not telling me."

Risa gave him a look. "There are a lot of things I don't tell you."

"No there aren't."

Her cheeks flushed crimson. "W-well... what do Machi-san and I talk about during parties?"

That had nothing to do with this. "Small talk."

"Wrong!"

"Well, then, enlighten me." Now he was getting irritated.

"I don't want to."

"You're being childish."

"I'm-!" She knew she was being immature, she just didn't want to admit it. "Satoshi, what do you want me to tell you?"

"Many things, you're relationship with my boss being one of them."

"M-my relationship-?!"

"But I don't know if you're going to tell me the truth."

"I always tell you the truth!"

"No, half of the time you lie, but I always catch you!" Satoshi hadn't noticed that he had stood up. Now he was towering over Risa, unaware of how he had gotten so angry. It wasn't like him.

Risa was surprised too. "I didn't think it mattered. I would have told you the truth anyway."

"Somehow, I don't believe that."

"Why?" she asked, suddenly getting defensive. "Because you're paranoid?"

"I am not-"

"For Christ's sake, you think I'm having an affair with your boss!"

"It's not that hard of a scenario to picture!"

"Oh, come on. It's _me_!"

"_You've _never had a boyfriend longer than three weeks! How am I supposed to know what causes the break-ups?"

She was furious. "You think I _cheated_ on my other boyfriends?"

"Maybe! I don't know!" That was one of the most ridiculous things he had ever thought of in his entire life, but at the moment, it seemed completely plausible.

"I'm not even in a _real_ relationship with _you_!" she pointed out, poking his chest. Something in that area began to throb painfully, and he was sure that it wasn't due to her bony finger. "What would you care if I'm interested in someone else?"

"I _don't_ care!" He found himself speaking before he could even think about the consequences. "If you want to ruin your reputation by being a supposedly engaged woman pursuing a married man, be my guest! The reputation you have back at home probably isn't much better seeing as how you've had how many other boyfriends?"

"Stop it with the boyfriends," she said warningly. "You don't know anything about it."

He scoffed. "No thanks to you."

* * *

They didn't speak for the rest of the week.

Risa didn't call him in the mornings to say hello and complain about being bored, and she didn't send him random and quirky e-mails throughout the weekdays. He didn't leave a note on the fridge, or call during his lunch breaks. The first day after the fight, he came home to a note that said,

_Off whoring._

_Risa_

He actually avoided coming home on time since that. He'd find extra paperwork to do and stay until seven, eight, maybe even ten at night. He just didn't want to face her. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday had passed without so much as a single word to each other. Satoshi would come home late, and she'd be asleep, or pretending to at least. And she had taken the couch.

A couch is a man's rock. It is his only friend, his only familiar territory through the good times and bad. It is a beer-drinking buddy, a break-up sulk spot, not to mention a rebound from the break-up hot spot. It is a bed for one or two, and an unjudging soul when it comes to preferred daytime television programs. It is a work station, and a nap station, and a good place for couples to watch movies. It's also a good place for couples to "watch movies." Even though Satoshi had never used a couch for anything other than working and sleeping and watching TV, it was still a _couch_. It is all that is good and right in the entire world...

**AND SHE STOLE IT!!**

Having this taken away from him was sort of like Risa adding salt to the wound. He didn't even get a better night's sleep on the bed. He slept horribly, though the place where he slept was not the thought most often occupying his mind.

His co-workers seemed to have noticed a definite change in him as well, and they stayed out of his way. Not one joke about his relationship or wedding was made that entire week, not even by the secretaries. It was disturbingly quiet during his workdays now.

And everyday felt worse and worse.

Everyday he felt the anger decrease and the guilt increase. There was no reason to insult Risa like that. It was absolutely absurd. He shouldn't have yelled just because he had been offended. He should have just sat her down and talked about it like any gentleman would do. Any proper one, that is.

And what must she think of him now? He knew perfectly well that their marriage was doomed, which hurt more than he had expected, but what about their friendship? What if they spent another week not talking, and they went their separate ways and never spoke to each other again? What if he was "that guy" who she used to be really good friends with, but he turned into an asshole, and things went downhill from there?

This was ridiculous.

They had been in worse. They had been in_ much_ worse. Like that time he confessed that he wasn't the one who had saved her from drowning, nor was Dark. She ignored him for a week until she had problems in math. Then they got into another argument which lasted an additional three weeks. They made up eventually, because it was all very childish, and they both knew that. And they had arguments all the time that they solved daily or weekly. He figured that this one would only last a day or two, but... still...

Absolutely ridiculous.

* * *

Friday, 10:38 PM. Three weeks had gone, and one week was left. By that time next week, he'd be preparing for a morning train.

He found himself thinking that he should apologize. Even though half of it was her fault. But half of it was his, and in this case, he should take the first step because he insulted her.

And, _God_, how he missed her sometimes. He missed her groggy tone whenever she would just wake up and call him to say good morning. He missed her stupid e-mails that she would send to him because she knew he was bored in a business meeting. He missed coming home and having her waiting for him. He missed saying goodnight to her, and her saying goodnight to him.

But he would apologize. He would.

"Hikari-san?"

Satoshi looked up from putting on his jacket at Kimoto and his wife, who happened to be staring at him. "Hello, Kimoto-san. Hello, Machi-san." He greeted them as he always did, feeling a pang of jealousy when he looked at Kimoto.

"What are you still doing here?" Kimoto asked, curious.

"Just... finishing up work." It wasn't a _complete_ lie.

"Well, walk a little ways with us," Kimoto invited with a congenial smile.

Of course he agreed, but only because he had to. The three of them were walking down the stairs, when Kimoto put his arm around Satoshi's shoulder and pulled him back a bit. Machi continued ahead.

"Hikari-san, could you give this to Harada-san for me?" he asked, handing Satoshi a small envelope.

He said, "No. And stay the hell away from my fiancee!" And then he threw Kimoto over his shoulder and out the window and onto a falling car that swerved and crashed him into a pole.

But not really.

"Yes. I'll give it to her."

Kimoto pat his back as Satoshi took the envelope. "Thanks so much. And don't worry. There's a nice note in there for you as well."

Satoshi was confused, but Kimoto just smiled and left to catch up with his wife. He stood as he watched his boss take Machi's hand and kiss the back of it. She blushed, but smiled at him, and Satoshi had a bad feeling in his stomach.

How could he have ever thought those things about Kimoto and Risa? Was he really that stupid, that protective... that

_J__ealous?_

To be honest, he didn't even think twice about opening the envelope. The first thing he saw was an invitation to the movies with just Kimoto and Machi and Risa. Just a "friend's outing." Satoshi put that in his pocket and took out the folded up lined paper with neat handwriting that said, _For Risa_.

He hesitated before unfolding it, finally stopping to think. Should he gather the truth now or later when he apologized to Risa? She'd be fuming if he read her letter. And then he pictured her face in front of him asking, "Don't you trust me?" Then she'd get even angrier, and all of his fears would be real, and she'd run off crying, and she'd never, ever forgive him...

If she ever found out, that is.

But that's stupid. She would always find out because she's Risa Harada.

Satoshi slowly put the folded paper back in the envelope and placed it in his jacket pocket. He heaved a sigh, feeling a little better. That's when he heard the sound of a car horn blaring...

* * *

**A/N: **If you think it's a weird ending, read it again and think about it. Once you get it, take a breath and relax, because I give you my word that it's not cliche. Give the next chapter a chance and trust me. It's not even what you're thinking. How do I know? Because I'm God (in this story). On a different note, I have to say my favorite part of this chapter is just the whole couch thing.


	15. Just Us

**A/N:** So I realize that this is short. I do. But I'm working on the next chapter. I'm thinking about it constantly. I'm just trying to figure out how to write it that will really just make people go "huh. didn't see that coming." So stay with me, ok?

* * *

Just Us

_Where is he? Where the _**hell**_ is he? I was going to apologize to him, tonight, for sure. I wrote notes. I wrote friggin notes for this apology. And I know he's been coming home late because he's avoiding me, but still! It's later than late. It's ten or eleven or... what the fuck?!_

_It's midnight?!_

_Where_** is**_ he?_

_Did he run away? If he ran away, I'm going to kick his ass. He doesn't know the kind of connections I have, and I _**have**_ connections. I have _** good**_ connections! __The kind__ of connections he doesn't even_** know** _about! I will hunt him down with a team of trained experts. And he'll probably be on a remote island in a big vacation house. And when we find him, I will tie him to a tree and hold a spear to his throat, because I__ have spears, and I will-!_

_I'll..._

**Damnit all**_, where is he?_

_--_

_It's one-thirty. How is it one-thirty? I just sat down and closed my eyes for a little, then paced, then cleaned the dishes, then cleaned the bathroom, which isn't even mine(!) and then..._

_What did I do after that?_

_Where in the _**fucking**_ hell is he?_

_--_

_I'm making lists. I am so bored I'm making lists._

_Risa's List of Favorite Foods. Risa's List of Pet Peeves. Risa's List of People She Hates. Risa's List of People She Likes. Risa's List of Talents (short). Risa's List of Not Talents (language being one of them). Risa's List of Boyfriends (hah). Risa's List of Friends-_

_Where in the _**fucking hairy monkey balls**_ IS he?_

_--_

_Something happened. He's not answering his cell phone. He _**always**_ answers his cell phone. Especially after I called it thirty-eight times...  
_

_Something _**must**_ have happened._

_I know it._

_I can feel it._

* * *

It was six-o-clock in the morning when he finally showed up. His shirt had been ripped a little, bags had formed under his eyes, and there were a few cuts on his face. I noticed a horrid-looking wound just above his left eyebrow, and felt the color drain from my face. He entered the room thinking I was asleep, being very careful not to make any noise. I must've startled him when I pretty much fell to my knees in relief.

"Wha-?! R-Risa, have you been up all night??"

And after all that pacing and swearing and worrying, you'd think I'd explode, right? But the first thing I did when I saw that it was him was cry. I already had been crying, but once I saw him, it was like a hydrant exploded. I was shaking and thanking some unknown deity, so full of relief that words couldn't even accurately describe it. I then managed to stand long enough to throw myself at him, hugging him tightly.

"Risa... Risa! Risa, I'm fine! S-stop crying."

I couldn't even say that I was so worried about him, or that I called his cell phone thirty-eight times. The only strength I had left in me was strength I was using to hold onto him.

He was _alive._ Scratched and exhausted, but _alive_.

"Risa..." He finally put his arms around me as well, mainly in hopes of keeping me from hyperventilating. "Come on, you're shaking. Calm down, I'm right here."

"S-Satoshi?" I croaked. "Satoshi, I'm not mad. I'm not-"

"I know," he said. "Neither am I."

The next was a blur of sipping a glass of water, listening to bits of him explaining his situation. He had been hit by a car, but the driver was drunk, and the streets were full, so luckily he wasn't going too fast. Apparently not all drunk drivers speed, which was news to me. Him and about nine other people were injured, but no one died. It was just a random spasm where the driver sort of passed out, and his foot hit the gas instead of the brake. The car stopped when it hit the wall of a building, and luckily no one was pinned. Satoshi, on the other hand, had been run over.

I started crying again once I heard that, and Satoshi got all flustered, running around and grabbing me tissues, making me tea, getting my emergency medication, etc. He kept insisting that it wasn't a big deal. His reflexes were trained, after all, so he successfully pushed a few people aside and ducked (backwards, might I add) to "lessen impact damage."

I was in a daze, my head simply bobbing up and down as he briefly summarized his ER visit, and how he couldn't call because (one) his phone had broken and (two) he figured it was something he'd have to explain to me in person. After that, he handed me a small envelope that Kimoto had requested he give to me. I didn't even notice that it had been opened until Satoshi told me that he opened it.

"I only looked at the invitation, though," he said quickly, holding his breath. "I swear to you, Risa, I didn't look at the note."

I believed him, mostly because Satoshi found this sort of lying petty, and he wouldn't fake an entire car crash scene just to get out of it. And at that point, I did not care. I didn't five a flying fuck about Kimoto because Kimoto was not Satoshi.

There was a numb sensation of standing and somewhat dragging him with me to the bedroom, and I had mumbled something about the both of us needing to rest. He placed his broken glasses on the bedside table, and we literally collapsed onto the bed.

"Thank you for coming home," I murmured as we haphazardly draped the covers over our bodies.

Satoshi reached out and pulled me close to him. "In case I didn't say it already, or I forget tomorrow, I'm sorry."

"No," I mumbled sleepily. "_I'm_ sorry."

"No, _I'm_ sorry."

"No, _I'm_ sorry."

He exhaled and smiled. Then he kissed my forehead and fell asleep.

He kissed my forehead and fell asleep.

He _kissed _my forehead and _fell_ asleep.

No, this isn't a typo, this is me reiterating the fact that Satoshi kissed me, and fell asleep immediately afterwards. Just in case you missed that little fact, or if you're joining this story right now, in this very chapter, and have no idea what's going on: He kissed my forehead and fell asleep.

He **_kissed_** my forehead and **_fell_** asleep.

He friggin' **KISSED** me, and then **FELL ASLEEP**!

And it's not like that's a big deal, especially to a lot of people our age, but it just felt so nice. He was just so warm and protective, and I felt so safe, and it just felt so right. And it wasn't forced or awkward, but just very natural and real. It was right, it was real, it was a thousand times more comfortable than the couch... It felt as though Satoshi and I had no other way to exist than with each other.

It was just _us_.

* * *

**A/N: **Unconventional, nonconformist me strikes again. Muah. Still planning, still editing. And yes, it IS a fact that police can tell if you're a drunk driver if you're driving too slow. Learned that in Driver's Education class sophomore year of High School, thank you very much.


	16. Damn Cell Phone

**A/N:** Blah. Nothing much to say here.

* * *

Damn Cell Phone

The first time Satoshi had woken up that day, it was in order to get to work on time. Risa had still be asleep (ON THE COUCH), and he didn't bother to look at her, which actually threw him off. Everyday, Satoshi would wake up and be greeted with Risa's face, inches from his. She'd be so cute, just sleeping, usually with a small smile on her face due to nice dreams. His normal morning routine was wake up, spend five minutes just staring at her, perhaps even brushing a strand of hair from her face, then finally managing to drag himself out of bed, shower, dress, eat, brush teeth, grab his suitcase and go to work. In between grabbing his suitcase and going to work, though, he'd stare at her for another minute or so. Anyway...

The point was, that he normally awoke with her in front of him. During their week-long fight, such an occasion did not happen, thus causing his attitude to be thrown off. His routine didn't change by much, but without her in it, something was wrong, and he was in a funk all day. So when he awoke for the fist time that day, he was bitter. Not only would he have to endure a full, extended day of work, but he'd also be in a bad mood.

The second time he woke up that day, he was underneath a car. Yes, he had managed to duck, but he wasn't blessed with super powers. He had hesitated a bit to throw others out of the way, and he had fallen to his knees first. So when he tried to flatten himself against the pavement, something hit his head. Whether it was the car's front, or some instrument protruding from the bottom of the vehicle, he wasn't sure. He just blacked out. He woke up a minute or so later to be greeted with the dark, smelly, oily under-parts of a car. For a moment, he thought he would pass out again, but he remembered the time, and the fact that he had to get home soon, and passing out would delay him further. And Risa would worry too much, as always.

So he forced himself awake for the next eight or nine hours, which was more difficult than it sounded. The doctors and nurses were busting all around him, asking if he was alright, telling him he might have to stay overnight, etc, etc. Kimoto and Machi had been there as well, so they weren't much help to Satoshi's stress factor. Machi was crying, and Kimoto was saying over and over how he'd pay for all the medical bills, or give him a raise, or send him back to his hometown (if that's what he wanted). He even offered to call Risa, which Satoshi immediately declined. He didn't need Risa storming into the emergency room, tears streaming down her pretty little face, confessing how sorry she was and whatnot. He just needed to get home as soon as possible. The doctors didn't like it very much when he walked out of the hospital around five-thirty or so, but Satoshi wouldn't really take no for an answer.

Well, anyway... third time's a charm.

When he awoke for the third time, he was greeted with the vague scent of vanilla perfume. He felt an arm under his head, and another one draped across his neck. When he moved, he pulled the body of a young woman closer to him, and further buried his face into the crook of her neck. He exhaled, content, and didn't even bother to open his eyes.

He knew he was home.

The young woman in his arms was just waking up as well. She stretched a little, her arm momentarily leaving his neck to reach into the air. She brought it back down at the end of her yawn and rested her hand in his hair. "Satoshi?" she murmured, moving to softly touch his bandaged wound. "You awake?"

He found himself thinking what a pointless question it was, but he lazily shook his head. "No."

She laughed a little, pulling her arm from underneath his head. He grumbled in protest, but she lightly pushed his shoulder. "Come one, buddy. I can't feel my arm."

He rolled onto his back, releasing her, and feeling strangely empty when he did so. "What time is it?"

She sat up, blinking and squinting against the sun rays that were shinning into their room. "Um..." she hummed, looking around and twirling her arm, attempting to regain feeling (he supposed). "It's... oh, wow. It's about two-o-clock."

Satoshi let out a breath, feeling a little less than disgusting. "Wow..."

She giggled and fell back onto the mattress. "I feel like a slug."

"Hn." He turned his head to look at her, and she did likewise. They smiled at each other, and then she reached out to touch his wound again. He closed his eyes at her touch.

"I can't believe you got hit by a car," she said, as if she was impressed.

"Run over," he corrected her. "I was run over."

"And they still let you out of the hospital," she said, grinning.

"I wouldn't take no for an answer," he said, opening his eyes to look at her.

She rolled her eyes. "I figured."

* * *

They had spent another two or three minutes in bed before managing to get up. He had trudged into the kitchen to make coffee (yes, at two in the afternoon), and she had begun to rummage through her drawers in order to have something to wear when she got out of the shower.

"So," she said in a voice loud enough so he could hear from the other room. "I have a weird question."

Having already poured six cups of water and four cups of coffee grounds into the machine, Satoshi closed the lid and pressed the ON button. "You always have strange questions."

"Nuh uh!" she said defensively. He made his way back to the bedroom and rested his body against the door frame. "I had good questions when you and I were studying math and whatnot!"

He nodded his head at that. "What's your question?"

She held her change of clothes close to her chest and bit her lower lip nervously. "Um... are you still mad at me?"

He blinked. "I told you that I wasn't."

"Right," she said, waving her hand. "But that was really early in the morning after a life-altering incident."

He shrugged. "Well... I'm not."

She smiled, relieved. "Good... Um, neither am I." He nodded, and she nodded, then she went on. "I'm not having an affair."

He actually felt himself blush. "No, Risa, I know you're not-"

"No," she interrupted. "I need to tell you what's been going on." Satoshi quieted, so she kept talking. "Machi-san and Kimoto-san... they had an arranged marriage."

He stared at her, his jaw slackening. "No, they did not."

"Yes, they did." She went on to explain that she had listened to Kimoto confess such a deed to her that day she was late. She told him about Kimoto and Machi's relationship, and her little part to play in said relationship moving forward.

Listening to this, Satoshi had never felt dumber. He was shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose. He had been so ridiculous, so rude and assuming...

"Don't blame yourself," Risa said suddenly. "It's not your fault for being suspicious. I mean... If I were you, I would have been suspicious of me too."

He sent her a helpless look. "Risa... I'm so sorry-"

"No, it's fine," she said, holding out a hand. She walked over to him and took his hand in hers. She squeezed it, looking into his eyes. "It's fine, Satoshi. I'm not angry anymore. I don't blame you at all."

He sighed, never breaking eye contact. "... Thank you."

She made a face. "For what?"

"For... being so understanding."

She smiled, blushing a little. "Hey, what are friends for?"

He found himself smiling as well. "Well... you've gone above and beyond what a regular friend would do. You've accepted my demon side and saved my ass from countless others finding out about my curse. You've been there for me when Krad was exorcised, and when I moved away from Azumano. You were the first to congratulate me about my job, and the first to plan a surprise birthday party for me..."

She laughed. "I remember that! As I recall, I was also the first to introduce alcohol into your system."

"And the first for many other reckless ideas such as train-hopping until we got lost, gambling in a random casino-"

"Alright, alright, I know I haven't been the greatest influence on you..."

It was his turn to squeeze her hand. "No... but you've also been responsible for each time we got in trouble. You've been open-minded... and understanding... and comforting..." He hadn't realized that they were slowly getting closer.

"... It's nice when you say good things about me," she whispered, sending shivers down his spine.

Upon hearing her voice, and feeling her breath on his lips, Satoshi completely froze up. The heat rushed to his face, and he just stood there, leaning over her, his face mere inches from hers. He opened his mouth and tried to say something, but nothing came out.

"... Satoshi?" she whispered again.

"What?" His voice was as quiet as hers.

"... Why won't you kiss me?"

His heart pounding, he desperately searched his mind for an answer and tried to move. "... I-"

BE-DEELDE-EED-DEE-DEE-DEEDEEDDLE-EE-D

He sprang back, scraping his arm on the door frame and falling completely on his ass. He jumped up, trying to ignore the pain in his buttocks, and also trying to ignore that he had just made a fool out of himself. Risa, on the other hand, hadn't moved. She slowly curled her empty hand into a fist, and lowered herself off of the platforms of her feet. She then made her way over to the nightstand which held her ringing cell phone.

"Hello?" She answered it in a fake cheery tone. She glanced at Satoshi, who was redder than a tomato by then. "Yes, Kimoto-san, he's home... Yes, he's fine... I know, Kimoto-san... I... No, we didn't forget. Tonight at seven, right? Yes... yes... Yes, he gave me the letter. Thank you, by the way..."

It was at that time that Satoshi thought it would be a good idea to get a cup of coffee.

* * *

Seven-o-clock rolled around, and Risa was just as she always was. Jumpy, nervous, asking him a million questions about her outfit or hair. You'd think that such an intimate moment never happened between the two of them. Then in the limo on the way to that night's business party, Satoshi had fallen into the habit of staring at her. She glanced over a few times and made a face at him.

She finally just turned to him and flicked his forehead. He jumped a little, and shot her a confused look. "Stop staring at me!"

"I'm sorry," he said automatically, but not meaning it.

Many, if not all, of Satoshi colleagues surrounded him that night. They kept asking if he should be on his feet after only a few hours of recovery, or if he needed some food, or some more punch, or if he had read their proposal on blah, blah, blah. Not after an hour into the party, Satoshi became tired. He himself began to wonder if such a short recovery time had been a good idea.

He had lost sight of Risa at the beginning, which was normal, but he found himself uncomfortable without her. Perhaps it was because they hadn't been together all week, and he wanted to make up for lost time after just having her back. He saw her once or twice speaking to Machi, but that was it. He was constantly trying to reassure his co-workers that he would be fine come Monday morning.

"Are you sure you're alright, Hikari-san?" Kimoto asked him for the sixth time that evening.

"I'm fine, Kimoto-san," he replied, pouring punch into a cup. He took a sip just as Kimoto held out a hand to protest, and he assumed why. He had practically swallowed fire.

"I'm so sorry," Kimoto apologized. "One of the older gentleman spiked the punch this evening. I don't know which, but I'm guessing it's because the new interns only have a week left."

Satoshi coughed and nodded, wiping at his eyes and trying to recover his dignity. "It's alright... I just wasn't expecting it."

Kimoto gave a small smile. "Well... no one does, really. People just take a big gulp of punch, wonder what the strange taste is, and are off. They don't realize that the alcohol has already numbed their tongues by then."

"What about you?"

"Oh. I have a high tolerance to alcohol." He laughed. "It's a curse, I must say." Kimoto excused himself in order to go talk to another worker, but not before he asked Satoshi if he was feeling alright... again.

Satoshi watched his boss walk off, and looked at his drink. He scowled, swishing the pink liquid around in his cup, then looked around the room. He caught sight of Risa sitting at a table and laughing with Machi and, he supposed, some of Machi-san's friends. He watched her for a little while, smiling at her smile, wondering how she managed to look so beautiful compared to all the other girls. Machi then leaned in and said something in a hushed tone to Risa, who in turn blushed a deep scarlet and looked away.

_"Why won't you kiss me?"_

His scowl deepened as he felt himself blush, and he turned away. He looked at his drink once more, then downed it in one gulp before having a chance to think twice. He felt dizzy, but poured himself another glass anyway. He vauguely wondered whether or not he should be drinking alcohol only six or seven hours after he was medicated with God knew what.

That thought was wiped away when he downed the second glass of spiked punch.


	17. Alcohol

**A/N:** HA! Finally. I've managed to get to the moment.

* * *

Alcohol

I knew the punch was spiked the moment I took a big gulp and the taste hit my tongue. I couldn't just spit it out in front of Machi and everyone, so I downed it. I did pretty well compared to Machi and her friends. They coughed, and their eyes watered, and it was as if they had never had a sip of alcohol in their life. They made a silly comment about the sour punch, but, of course, went for another cup. I stayed away.

"Oi, Risa-chan. You don't mind if I call you Risa-cha, do you, Risa-chan? I do hope not..."

"It's fine, Machi-san."

The tipsy young woman put a hand on my shoulder to steady herself as we sat down at a table. "I need to tell you something..."

"What's that, love?" I asked, taking away her fifth cup of punch.

"I think... I do _believe_... that the punch is spiked."

I had to laugh. "I'm aware, dear."

She was laughing herself. "Don't... don't drink it, mmkay? I've... I think I've had too much."

"I think so too."

"Don't... don't tell Takeshi," she said, giving me a pleading look. "He'd be so embarrassed..."

I patted her hand reassuringly. "It's ok, Machi-san. He loves you too much to be embarrassed by you."

The other girls giggled and agreed, and Machi's cheeks went from a pale white to a dark crimson. "Don't be foolish..."

"Oh, Machi-san, please," Mayuko-san, the girl to her immediate left, spoke up with a slightly annoyed drawl. "Anyone with eyes can see that he's mad about you." The others agreed, except for a younger girl, Sakura-san.

"What if you're blind?" she asked innocently. We all stared at her. "I mean... even if you're blind, if you just listen to Machi-san and Kimoto-san converse... I mean, it's really obvious just listening to them talk, isn't it? Or... maybe it's just me... Am I being too bold?"

There was a short moment of silence, and then we burst into laughter. It was slightly chaotic with five young women talking a little loudly about modern times, and how this wasn't the 1600's. Through the noise, Machi put a hand on my shoulder and leaned in to whisper something in my ear.

"You're not one to talk, you know."

I felt my face heat up, and forced the urge to roll my eyes. As the other girls began a different conversation, I leaned back into my chair and looked into the distance.

_"Why won't you kiss me?"_

_Why had I been so _stupid_! Everything was going fine until I... And he just fell back, completely on his ass, which was not like him at all. God, he basically _rejected_ me..._

I checked the time and sighed, irritated at the thought of enduring the party for another two hours. I spotted the cup of punch once more and drank it in one gulp before I had the chance to think. My head spun. I tried to steady my thoughts and remain aware of what I was doing.

"Oi, Risa-chan," Mayuko-san said, pointing at my hand. "You didn't find the ring yet?"

"No," I said, curling my fingers and wondering how they had gotten to be so slow and thick. "... Not yet."

* * *

I was thoroughly surprised when I found myself in a more sober state than Satoshi. When I bumped into him on my way to the food table, he had almost fallen over. Well, practically every person in the room was in his state as well, but this was shocking because... well... it was Satoshi.

He made a strange sound and slurred it together with a sloppy apology. He tried to move, but only managed to fall against me. I grunted at his weight.

"S-Satoshi..." I grumbled as I shifted to pull an arm over my shoulders. "How many cups did you have?"

He straightened a little, looked up at the ceiling in thought, and hummed. "Ummm... I... I don't know..."

"Satoshi..."

He looked me in the eye and very seriously said, "I... too much. I've... I've had too much."

I stared at him in awe. "No... No, there's_ no_ way you're drunk..."

He scowled- no, I'm sorry, he pouted- and managed to stand by himself. He puffed out his chest and held the front of his jacket proudly. "Of course I'm not. I'm... I'm _Satoshi Hikari_."

I slapped my forehead. "Oh, my God, you really _are_ drunk..."

"Never! I'm _Satoshi_-"

"Alright, whatever. I'm taking you home."

"Yes, well I-!" He stumbled as I began dragging him away from the food table. "... Yeah, ok. I'm drunk."

* * *

I managed to get him out of the party successfully, thanks to Moto. Once we exited the building, Satoshi almost collapsed on me again, and Moto was there to sling an arm around his shoulders and help Satoshi into the limo. From there, it was a smooth ride home. Well, Moto had to help him up the elevator and into our room, but that was about it.

I was wringing out a cooled wash cloth as he sat, slouched, at the little bar part of our kitchen. I made some sort of comment about him being drunk, to which he mumbled a reply that I could not hear.

"What was that?" I asked, pressing the damp towelette to his face. I had to lean over across the counter, which hurt my stomach, but it was worth it.

"You drank some cups too," he repeated, sounding like a little boy. The only downside, I found, to having Satoshi inebriated was his lack of elegance when speaking. Other than that, he was pretty well-behaved. And he hadn't vomited yet, which was a definite plus.

"Yeah, well... I'm more sober than you are," I replied, watching as he relaxed against my hand and closed his eyes. I smiled and removed his glasses. "Baka... I thought you were too smart to get drunk."

He let out a "hmph", not bothering to respond.

"Well..." I said quietly, beginning to blush at his vulnerability. I slowly backed away, as if a sudden movement would alarm him. "We should probably get you to bed."

He didn't resist as the two of us stumbled our way to the bedroom, but we did sort of fall against the door frame. I remember laughing a bit, and telling him to help me, and he didn't move. He just stood, leaning.

Then he kissed me.

Not on the forehead. Not on the cheek.

On the _lips_.

He just... _kissed_ me. Needless to say, I was pretty much in shock. It was like my heart had stopped beating, and I couldn't breath, and my whole body tingled. He tasted a little like alcohol, but smelt just as he always did; coconut shampoo and clean linen. And just before I closed my eyes, he pulled away. He let out a dry laugh and smirked at me.

"There," he said almost triumphantly. "Happy now?" I couldn't look away. I shut my mouth, my face burning, and tried to say something. I couldn't, of course, and he and I just spent the next few seconds staring at each other. A scowl grew on his face, and he shifted, uncomfortable. "What? What are you staring at?"

I scoffed. "You just kissed me, you idiot!"

"Course I did," he said simply, not offering an explanation. "So?"

I laughed, but felt my heart sinking. "You're... you're _really_ drunk..."

"You know something, Risa?" He got really serious and took my face in his hands. "I'm glad I'm drunk."

"Are you now?" I asked, his thumb stroking my cheek. He nodded slowly. "And why is that?"

"Because I wouldn't have the courage to do this when I was sober," he replied, leaning in closer. "I'd be too scared... or nervous... I don't usually like human contact so much..."

"I'm aware," I said, my voice almost a whisper.

This time, the kiss lasted much longer. My arms were around his neck, and his seemed to wrap all the way around my body. I had trouble breathing again, but it didn't matter because I didn't want it to stop. He began to run his fingers through my hair, and I pressed myself up against him... and something happened. I can't fully explain it. We were both intoxicated, and we were both having feelings of intense longing... And we were kissing, and it felt so natural and right and... the next thing I knew, his shirt was off...

... and then my dress was gone...

... and then we were on the bed, and we weren't stopping... and I didn't want to stop.


	18. Equilibrium

**A/N**: I didn't mean for it to be fluff, but I honestly think this is how they would react. So... enjoy.

* * *

Equilibrium

It had all seemed like a dream, really. When he finally summoned enough courage to kiss her, it was like he was stuck in an eternal euphoric state, and no bad news could dampen his spirits. Maybe it was her, maybe it was the alcohol; who knew? He just didn't want the dream to end. He was holding her and kissing her, and his shirt was somehow removed the picture... and then he was pulling up her dress, not even waiting for it to be completely removed before he kissed her again, this time on her stomach. Then he was above her, and they were in bed-

He woke up, startled at the explicit content of this dream. He shivered, instantly recognizing the feeling of being shirtless.

Now that he thought about it, he also felt like he was sans pants as well...

The next recognition was that something was in his arms. Then he noticed it was some_one_. Then he noticed that this someone was Risa, and she was also not wearing a shirt. Then he realized that his dream was not a dream, and his body temperature increased rapidly. Then he saw that the only thing that stood in between his naked self and her naked being was a thin strip of cloth where the sheets had been folded.

These realizations all occurred within a the time-span of about sixty seconds, causing Satoshi's head to spin. He felt sick to his stomach, and his head began to ache, and he felt as if he was going to-

Oh, God.

* * *

So there he was, leaning over the toilet, having just emptied the acidic content of his stomach. He watched as the bowl filled with clean water after a flush, and wondered how this situation could get any worse. He was thoroughly embarrassed. Of all the things he could see himself being ashamed of, vomiting due to a hangover was not one of them.

Yet there he was.

Satoshi knew that something was going to happen. There had been this certain tension between them for as long as he could remember, even when they were best friends in High School. They had fought intensely for a week, only to wake up in each other's arms after he had a near-death experience. They had been so close to kissing that afternoon, and on top of everything else, he had gotten drunk. _Something_ had to happen.

He just wasn't expecting _that_.

Words couldn't even describe how pathetic and disgusting he felt. He had done a stupid thing, drinking that punch, and he had lost control. He swore after Krad that such a thing would never happen again, especially when Risa's well-being was at stake. He was an unworthy creature, a despicable excuse for a gentleman...

After a few more upheavals and flushes, Satoshi slowly got to his feet. He draped a towel around his bare lower half and brushed his teeth... three times. That was when she knocked on the door.

"Satoshi? Are you ok?"

He let out a dry laugh despite himself. "You missed the vomiting part."

"Aw, damn! That's the best part!"

He opened the door without thinking, and upon seeing her, felt his hangover headache return. "... You're wearing my shirt."

She blushed. "Well, I wasn't going to dress myself in the king-sized bedsheets. I just grabbed the closest thing, ok?"

He couldn't look away. She was so tiny that his shirt came down to her mid-thighs, and his sleeves passed over her hands. "I can't believe you're wearing my shirt."

She crossed her arms and glared at him, embarrassed. "So what if I am?"

"I thought that only happened in movies or TV shows or any other form of fictional stories," he said honestly. "It's so... _cliche_."

"It was the closest thing!"

"I know, and you look quite fine in it. But it's still cliche."

Satoshi wasn't sure if he had seen Risa that shade of red before. She whacked his arm and walked away, mumbling something about boys and their mood swings. He watched her go, and soon found his eyes lowering to her-

Oh, _God_, he felt sick.

He had to sit down on the closed toilet seat, trying not to vomit once more. Risa returned soon enough, and concern flooded her face. She held out the items she had brought (a glass of water and three Advil pills) and ordered him to take the medication. He did as he was told, placing the glass of water on the floor beside him once he was finished. She kneeled in front of him, just sort of watching. She was so cute when she was worried.

"I'm fine, Risa," he said quietly, leaning his elbows on his knees. She nodded, but didn't look convinced. "I'm just beginning to think that I should not have had all those cups of spiked punch."

"Gee, you think so?" she said with a small smile.

"It was a brainless thing to do, and I'm sorry. I was stupid. I should have never drunk the punch, and I should have never-" He hesitated to continue, unsure. "I should have never done what I did... to you... and I'm sorry."

They fell silent for a little while, awkwardly looking everywhere else but at each other.

"... I'm glad you did, though."

He looked at her, cheeks heating. "What?"

Risa's eyes went wide. "Oh, shit. Did I just say that out loud?" Satoshi watched as she blushed _again_, and began babbling on about... well, he wasn't quite sure. She was just rambling, really, and he wasn't paying too much attention because he was distracted by his own thoughts...

And how god damn _sexy_ she looked in his shirt. Really, it was criminal how attractive she was. He couldn't _stand_ it. It was clouding all of his common sense and intelligence.

"Risa?" he interrupted her, somewhat in a daze. She shut her mouth, flustered, worried, self-conscious. She looked at him expectantly. He didn't really know what to say, nor did he know what to _do_. Well, that was a lie. He knew what he wanted to do, he just... didn't know how exactly to do it. Plus, he had to tell her something, and the action seemed highly inappropriate at that time. "I..." He stopped. "... If I..." He stopped again, getting lost in the depth of her eyes.

She frowned slightly and tilted her head. "What's up, Satoshi?"

"... Last night..." he began cautiously.

"Yes?" she asked, the pink tinge remaining in her cheeks.

"Last night, I... I was happy."

Upon saying this, she gave him a confused look. "It's probably because you were so drunk."

"No," he said quickly. "No, that's... I mean..." He sighed. "You... you make me really, _really_ happy."

And just like that, her eyes became misty. "... You make me really happy too, Satoshi."

Relieved greatly, Satoshi smiled. He held open his arms, and she fell into them. He closed his eyes and breathed, holding Risa with no intention of letting go. She always smelt good, he realized. She pulled back and wiped her eyes, but his hands remained settled on her hips. She smiled at him, then took his face in her hands and kissed him. His heart sped up, but this time, he didn't hesitate to pull her closer.

Nor did he hesitate to unbutton his shirt once she startled fiddling with his towel. Or when he started up the shower and pulled Risa in with him.

But that's really not the point.


	19. A Day Together

**A/N:** Holy shit this chapter is cheesy. We'll hit issues in the next chapter, I promise. If anyone can draw and they want to do some pictures of this, that'd be awesome. I sort of suck at drawing, so... yeah.

* * *

A Day Together

So many questions were going through my head that night and the following morning. What was I doing? Was this right? Will he speak to me tomorrow? Or ever again, for that matter? What must he think of me? Does he think I'm easy? Does he love me? Is that why he... why _we_ had sex? Was the tension between us romantic or just sexual?

And where the _**HELL**_ did Satoshi get a condom?!

When he told me that I made him happy, it felt as if my heart would burst. I felt sort of stupid, really, crying like that, but I just couldn't help it. I was so happy that he didn't hate me, or think any less of me. I don't care whether or not people think I was too bold, or that I was continuing to be bold, because Satoshi wasn't stopping so neither was I.

And I couldn't stop kissing him! Or holding him, or touching him, or being close to him...

"You look nice," he said behind me as I made coffee.

I scoffed, but nonetheless blushed. "Don't be stupid. I'm not even wearing anything flattering."

He was quiet for a moment, then I felt his arms snake around my waist, and his wet hair touched my cheek. "I must disagree. Though it is rather disgustingly cliche, you do look quite nice in my shirt."

Smiling like a fool, I rolled my eyes and turned my head so I could kiss the top of his. We were silent for quite some time, listening to the coffee brew and the birds chirp outside.

* * *

We decided that sooner or later, we would have to get dressed, and after such, we decided to go for a walk. I can't express how gratifying it felt to be holding his hand without fretting over his feelings. I showed him the couple of parks I had found, pointed out some wildflowers I had found- to which he identified and informed me of their meaning- and also introduced him to a corn-dog. I laughed out loud when I heard that he had never had one before, but believed him. He was incredulously cute when he was asking about what they were and how exactly you ate one.

He took me down a few streets and showed me really beautiful houses and neighborhoods. He also took me into a flower shop and gave me a class on flower language. I didn't mind. I was so thrilled that I kept picking up random flowers and asking their meaning.

"What's this one?"

"That's a daffodil, Risa. You should know that."

"Well, what does it mean?"

"Respect. Why do you-?"

"And this one?"

"That's a cylamen. Very sad, really. It's a flower of resignation and good-byes."

"Oh... what about... this one?"

"Oh... um... that's a peony. It's... it's an aphrodisiac."

"Eek!" That one was put away quickly. "Sorry."

He smiled, his eyes so gentle. "It's quite alright." As I busied myself twiddling my thumbs, he let out a chuckle and began pointing things out to me. "See that one over there? That means desire, or a will for the return of affection. And that's the Hebrew emblem of marriage. And that one signified not being able to live without 'you'. Ah, and this one-" He reached over and pulled out a stem lined vertically with beautiful white flowers, which consisted of long petals and a small circular and yellow center. He handed it to me and said, "This is a hyacinth. It stands for loveliness."

I glanced from the flower in my hand, to the young man standing beside me and gave him a look. "... Satoshi... who knew you were such a romantic?"

His cheeks did turn pink, but he shrugged. "I try."

* * *

We were silent for a while, even as we exited the shop and walked down the crowded street.

"Risa..." Satoshi finally said, squeezing my hand a little.

I looked up at him. "What?"

"May I... ask you something difficult?"

"It can't be harder than when you asked me to marry you," I replied, sticking out my tongue.

He smiled, but cleared his throat and tried to look serious. "I just... I would like to know... why your boyfriends never lasted long." He hurriedly added, "It's not because I think you cheated or anything ridiculous of that sort. I really do apologize again for how terrible I was for saying such a horrid thing-"

"Satoshi," I cut him off, adoring how cute he was when flustered. He shut up and looked at me expectantly. I smiled. "I never kept my ex-boyfriends for long... because they weren't you."

He looked surprised, but at the same time... he looked so happy. I don't think I've ever seen him like that before. Not even when Krad was exorcised, or when he got his own place away from his father. It was heartwarming... but a little awkward for me. I just sort of blushed and stood there.

* * *

"Hey, Satoshi... Can... can you promise me something?"

"What is it?"

God, he was so **_cute_** when he was curious. "Promise me... that you won't act differently around me, ok?"

He blinked, then made a face that worried me. "I'm afraid I won't be able to make that promise."

"Why not?" I asked, startled.

He smiled and leaned forward to capture my lips in his. He touched my face with his fingertips, causing shivers to run up and down my spine, then pulled back so we were just barely separated. "... I may be a little bolder now that you're mine."

Dear God, I melted in his arms.

He pulled back a little more, though, a bit worried himself. "I... can call you mine now... right? I mean, if you don't want to... If you'd rather be, you know, something else, I-"

I grabbed him and kissed him once more. "Baka..." I whispered against his lips. "I've always been yours."


	20. Why Not?

**A/N:** I'm really, really, really, REALLY sorry about the long update. I had writer's block, and then I had my vacation, and then came marching band, so... I've been really busy lately. I'm really sorry. I hope you enjoy nonetheless!

* * *

Why Not?

Damnit all, why did she have to be so cute? Honestly. It took him forever to drag himself out of bed the next morning. It also took forever to make it out of the bedroom once he had showered. She moaned sleepily, took hold of his sleeve, mumbling orders for him not to leave.

"I have to," he replied with a soft smile. He was dragged forward a bit, and he chuckled, touching her hair. "I have to go to work."

"Call in sick," she pleaded while softly touching the side of his face.

"I can't." _God_, how he wished he could, though. "I only have a week left." Damn, this was tearing at his heartstrings. "I'll be home at five."

"Promise?" she asked with her special puppy-dog pout.

He was hovering over her for a second before leaning down and kissing her lips hungrily. He felt her small hands run through his hair and pull him closer, then settle on the back of his neck. He slid his arms underneath her torso, his hands becoming lost in the mess of her long brown hair. He finally managed to pull back, and he laid a kiss upon her forehead.

"I promise," he whispered.

* * *

It was his least productive day of work ever. He just sat at his desk, staring at files, thinking of Risa lying in bed, waiting for him. He smiled to himself a lot, causing his co-workers to worry about him. Every now and then, he'd snap back to reality and open a file in his computer. Then he'd wait for it to load and think of Risa some more, therefore sidetracking himself and staring through the screen. It took a cough or a sneeze from a co-worker to snap him back, and he'd start, goosebumps rising from his skin.

"I take it everything is alright with the fiancee?" Kimoto asked, standing at the opening to his cubicle.

Satoshi made a face after he started, and tried to become emotionless once again. "... Yes, yes, everything's fine. Why do you ask?"

Kimoto was looking at him in an odd way. "No reason, really. You seem very... distracted today."

"Do I? I hadn't noticed."

Kimoto was quiet for a moment, then he took a step towards him, placing his hands in his pockets. "Hikari-san, I've been thinking... You and Risa-san have done so much for me and Machi... and I wanted to repay you."

Although he was embarrassed, Satoshi had to admit that he was thoroughly surprised and flattered. "That's not necessary, Kimoto-san. You don't have to do-" At that moment in time, Satoshi's cell phone rang. He recognized the number instantly and excused himself. "Good morning again, Risa."

"You are going to hate me after this phone call."

He scowled, nervous at the new salutation. "I would never hate you. What's wrong?" He ignored the look that his boss was giving him.

Risa sighed on the other line. "I'm so embarrassed... I just..." She sighed again. "Have... have you seen my pants?"

At this, Satoshi felt his face burn. "Oh. Um..." He couldn't stand to look at Kimoto. Turning away slightly, he asked in a quieter voice, "Which ones?"

She actually laughed a little. "Which ones do you think, baka? The ones I wore last night."

He cleared his throat. "Um... did you check the kitchen?"

She made a 'hm' sound, and he heard the sound of shuffling. "Um... oh! There they are!"

He rolled his eyes.

"What would I do without you?" she asked, thrilled. She was a woman of simple pleasures, he realized. She could be happy for a whole day just because he bought her ice cream.

He smiled, despite himself. "I have to go now. I'll see you at five, alright?"

She exhaled, perfectly contented. "I'll be waiting."

They hung up, and Satoshi turned back to his boss, his cheeks still flushed. He corrected his smile into a neutral face and cleared his throat once again. "... I apologize."

Kimoto was grinning like a bastard. "I have a crazy idea, Hikari-san." Satoshi waited, not wanting to hear the idea anyway. "Why don't I throw you and Risa-san a wedding?"

Satoshi was astonished, to say the least. "We're not... we... we're already having a wedding."

"Have you planned it out yet?"

"... Well, no, but-"

"Then it isn't really happening?"

"What? Well... not technically-"

"Good! How does tomorrow sound?"

"Tomorrow!"

"Yes! Right in the ballroom of your hotel. What do you say?"

"No."

Kimoto looked confused. "No?"

"NO!" Satoshi's head was spinning, which was probably a product of the information given to him combined with the fact that he had abruptly gotten to his feet. Everyone in the office was staring at him. He tried to compose himself as best as he could. "You're very kind to offer, Kimoto-san, but... no thank you."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, sir," an older male co-worker said, appearing to the other side of Satoshi's cubicle. "But I have to ask-" He looked at Satoshi. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why won't you marry her? You've been dating for a while, according to Minegawa-san, and it's obvious that the two of you like each other, so why won't you marry the girl?"

"She's twenty-seven, Sato-san, and a fine young woman. She hasn't been a girl since High School."

"You guys knew each other back then too?" Someone else chimed in.

"Not the point," the co-worker said quickly. "You're avoiding the question, Hikari-san."

"I don't see a problem with it," his boss replied with an earnest smile. "Risa-san won't mind, I'm sure."

"Kimoto-san, I-"

"And don't think we don't know when she calls you every morning."

"We know about the e-mails too."

"Gentlemen, I really don't want to discuss this with you," Satoshi said, getting angry.

"Hikari, come _on_!" Sato drawled, annoyed. "She's nice, she's respectable, hard-working, not to mention unbearably good-looking."

Satoshi's face lit up like a torch. "Excuse me?"

"He's got a point, Hikari," said the other worker. "If I were you, I couldn't wait to get with her, if you catch my drift."

Kimoto gave that worker an eye. "That's enough out of you, Watanabe-san."

This co-worker, being younger and a tad less mature than the rest, held up his hands in self defense. "I'm just agreeing that she's very good-looking! I didn't mean to offend anyone!"

Satoshi didn't even feel his blood boiling until he found himself inches away from Watanabe's face.

"Now you listen to me," He said sternly, his voice low and ominous. "There is more to the average female than you give credit; more than anyone gives credit. They are human beings with emotions and lives, hobbies, and interests. It's not about games or looks to them, most especially to Risa Harada. She has worked harder than I _ever_ have. I was lucky to be endowed with skills, but she learned them, and worked at them, and had to watch herself fail time after time. There's more to her than just her face, including an ugly side, and even that side of her is beautiful. She is the most amazing young woman I have ever met, and there are hundreds of thousands of women just like her that have to put up with pigs like you everyday. You think about that the next time you make a comment about a female's worth due to her face or probability of success in bed."

Watanabe was in shock. As was Kimoto and every single worker in hearing proximity. Satoshi was pretty damn shot himself. He inhaled, stepping back from his co-worker and releasing the tension in his fists. He hadn't realized that he had gotten so angry. To be honest, it was a little frightening.

The whole concept was frightening, actually. No... No, it was terrifying. He had never cared about anything because he never really had to work for it, but he had worked for Risa. He would do anything just to make her happy. He'd... he'd leave her, if that's what she wanted. Hell, if she wanted him to jump off a bridge to save an abandoned puppy, he'd do it. He had never been so attached to anything in his entire life, and, quite honestly, it scared him.

Everything was silent.

Satoshi looked around, a bit ashamed at his outburst.

"So..." Kimoto said slowly. "When _are_ you going to marry Harada-san?"

Satoshi glared at him, just shrugging. "I don't know."

"How about tomorrow?"

Satoshi felt like punching him. He never gave up. "_Why?_"

Kimoto shrugged. "Well... Why not?"


End file.
